


Star Wars the Clone Wars: M.I.A. On a Lost Planet

by Smol_FiestBean



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, Battle, Clone Trooper, Clone Wars, Crash Landing, Escape, Gen, Jedi, Lost and Found, Missing, Rescue, War, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-09-13 17:52:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 54,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smol_FiestBean/pseuds/Smol_FiestBean
Summary: Clone Sergeant Mako and his men end up crashed onto a planet the galaxy has forgotten about, until now. As they seek a way off this planet they must encounter danger, Separatists, secrets, and a very mysterious woman...*Teaser*I wake up to darkness. I blink a few times, and my eyes adjust some allowing me to see that there is something on top of me. Shoving it off I am nearly blinded by the light shining in my eyes. Soon my eyes adjust again, and I look around to see that I am sitting in the middle of a pile of wreckage from what looks like a bounty hunter ship.Why am I here?I ponder the thought, seeing as I am confused as all get out. I soon see, or remember why. I was escaping with another man. Suddenly I stop and think.What is my name?I'm sure I had one. One of them called me something, I remember his words.I stop and think hard.He called me Vire.





	1. Prologue

"Vire, get up here! We have a system malfunction!" I am suddenly awakened by the panicked voice of my new associate.

"I'm coming, Calso!" I yell and jump to my feet running to the cockpit where Calso is frantically pushing buttons as red lights flash on the console.

"Calso, calm down!" I yell to him over the screech of the alarm.

"I'm trying, Vire!" he yells in response and spins around to face me. I quickly look over the console behind him and then turn back to Calso.

"What exactly is causing the system malfunction?" I ask calmly.

"Well to be honest, I just saw the red lights and panicked. I'm not an exceptional pilot, but I did feel the whole ship rock a few minutes ago," he yelled at me.

"I know! I felt it too!" I shout back. He nodded.

"I think someone shot at us!"

"OK--."

The rest of my sentence was cut off when two more explosions rocked the whole ship.

"Who's shooting at us?" I shouted. Calso looked out the window above the console then turned back to me.

"No one!" he yelled glancing down at the console, adding, "Readings say that something blew up in the cargo hold and the entire back half of this crate is gone!"

I nodded.

"Just what I thought. Sankrat..." I muttered but was cut off when he screamed something else that I failed to hear.

"What?" I asked loudly.

"OK!" he said mistaking what I had said.

"So what do we do now?" he added.

"Just give me one minu--."

All of a sudden I spotted a Separatist concussion missile, fired from a modified speeder bike, right before it hit us dead on. The left wall exploded inward, throwing me back onto the console. My head hit something hard. Then everything spun violently and went black.

\\\\\\\

I wake up to darkness. I blink a few times, and my eyes adjust some allowing me to see that there is something on top of me. Shoving it off, I am nearly blinded by the light shining in my eyes. Soon my eyes adjust again, and I look around to see that I am sitting in the middle of a pile of wreckage from what looks like a bounty hunter ship.

Why am I here?

I ponder the thought, seeing as I am confused as all get out. I soon see or remember why. I was escaping with another man. Suddenly I stop and think.

What is my name? I'm sure I had one. One of them called me something, I remember his words.

I stop and think hard.

He called me Vire.

I now remember and know who I am. I am Vire. I must have been a bounty hunter as well. Getting up carefully and checking to make sure none of my bones are broken, I begin to look for any other survivors. It turns out that I was the only survivor and passenger.

What about the other Bounty hunters?

I shrug. It doesn't matter. I'm on my own. Then I look around me to see where I am and what planet I am on. I don't recognize any of my surroundings and begin to wonder if I am dreaming. After thinking a few minutes, I figure I am not dreaming, and I have just crashed on a planet that I've never been to before. I glance over the wreck one last time. There's nothing there for me other than some guns and maybe some food. Deciding quickly to grab the few supplies, I head into the forest to see what awaits me on this new and remote planet.


	2. 1

Kael groaned and pushed a piece of metal off of him as he glanced around. He was one of the four clone troopers who had just crash landed on this desolate planet, all because they had taken a pit stop to fix some engine problems after their mission. He sat up and blinked letting his eyes adjust to the light.

When he could see, he looked around taking note of his surroundings. There were trees surrounding the crash site, and some had been knocked down and crushed. The leaves spread on the ground around them were a reddish green color, and the scorched tree trunks were enveloped in a blue vein- like color pattern. The sun was shining directly overhead, and the air was humid and musty. The now burnt grass looked to have been originally orange-yellow.

It was dead quiet except for the noise of the clones, known as Kael, Mako, Crash, and Flyer. After Kael had a clear picture of their surroundings, he saw that Mako, another one of the four troopers, was already up and trying to pull Crash, their pilot, out of the trashed LAAT/ i.To Kael the face was no different than his own. Being clones they all had the same features. The black hair, tan skin, rough features and brown eyes Mako had were just the same as Kael's, but rank was a different matter. In rank Mako was their squad sergeant, and Kael was really just a rookie who had been assigned to go on this mission with the others.

Originally these four clones had been working on a perilous mission doing reconnaissance on a recently Separatist occupied planet. They were supposed to find out if the Separatists were still occupying the planet and if so, report back with a full analysis of the Separatist base.

Since the mission revealed the planet unoccupied, the four of them had been returning to Coruscant. They ran into engine troubles from old damage, though, and pulled out of hyperspace. The Seps, as the Separatists were called, had taken them by surprise and shot their engines into slag. Their skilled pilot and copilot had taken them into a spiral, an act of drastic measures, and then they had crash landed on the planet. Kael stood up and looked around to see if the other trooper who had been with them was with Mako.

"Sir, where's Flyer?" he inquired walking over to where Mako was.

"He didn't survive the crash," said Mako, his voice sounding different through his helmet. He attempted to get into the ships remains so he could see if Crash was alive.

"What about Crash, Sir?"

"I'm getting there. I'm sure he's fine, but first I have to get him out of here."

"Yessir," replied Kael, understanding Mako's underlined order.

Eventually, Kael and Mako had cleared a way in, and as Kael got into the cockpit he could see that Crash was slumped over the controls unconscious. Flyer was also in the cockpit, and Kael was now able to see for himself that Flyer was dead. Hauling Crash out of the chair and off the controls, Kael dragged the unconscious pilot out into the open. After a few minutes, Crash was awake as well.

"Sir, any idea where we are?" Kael asked as he stood up; he grabbed his helmet and turned it over in his hands to check for external damage.

"We should be just outside the Rimma Trade Route on a planet named Nagem. It's about two parsecs galactic west of Utapau," Mako answered, his voice deceivingly calm.

"Our last known coordinates were over the East side of Nagem. I've read it was practically all forest until you reach the west side border," Crash informed them, as he sat up and looked around letting his helmet sensors adjust.

"No chance we're busting out in that crate," Mako said disdainfully.

Crash looked at what was left of the ship then said, "I concur. I think we'll need a new way off this rock."

"Then we will have to find one," Mako said and grabbed his blaster as he tossed Kael's to him. Kael nodded in acknowledgement and caught the blaster. As he pulled his helmet on, he automatically activated his HUD and other sensors but nothing came across.

"Not one for words, is he?" Mako commented to Crash after finding a secure channel on his own helmet comm.

"He's a rookie, Sir," Crash returned.

"Sir, I have no HUD display; my helmet's gone on the fritz," Kael answered taking his helmet off. Mako took it from him and removed his own. After attempting to fix Kael's helmet, he stood up and handed it to the rookie.

"I can't fix your HUD display, but I've turned it off so you can see."

"Thank you, Sir," said Kael taking the helmet back and putting it on.

Crash looked at Mako asking, "So, how do we proceed?"

Mako scanned the area his HUD telling him that there were trees in all directions like Crash had said.

Continuing to read off his display he turned to the others, "Database tells me there should be a city dead ahead if we travel north for about three hours on foot," he explained.

"Sounds like the best bet to me, Sir. Least they can do for us is contact Coruscant," Crash put in.

"After you, Sir," Kael replied. Mako then began trekking into the forest, Crash and Kael following him, and none of them noticed the shadowy figure following them.

As they walked through the forest Kael looked around taking note of their surroundings. He remembered the Separatist armada that had been in orbit around the mysterious planet.

"Sir, do you think they knew we were coming?" he inquired.

"I don't have any knowledge as to whether they did or not. In fact, I don't understand half the things those tinny boys do anyway," Mako responded.

"Yessir," Kael answered.

"Glad to see Kael loosened up," Crash cut in dropping the subject.

"Yes," Mako muttered. He had to remember that Kael didn't know how Disaster squad's members acted. Kael was brand new and a shinie, but the rookie had to learn. This wasn't a training course, this was life.

At the same time, Crash was thinking more about the mission than the rookie on it.

"You think the inhabitants are friendly?"

"Couldn't tell you, Crash."

"Yessir," answered Crash getting the feeling Mako wanted silence. Yet in his mind he was still wondering about who or what lived here and how friendly they might be.

I hope they are.

\\\\\\\

Kael stayed at the back, trying not to draw attention to himself. He didn't know much about field work, so he let Mako and Crash do the hard bits while he learned from them. Yet, at the same time he kept an eye out for predators.

"We'll stop here for a bit," Mako announced, coming to a halt in front of them. Crash and Kael stopped. They were now in a small glade of orange-yellow grass. Kael leaned back on the twisted trunk of a dead tree. He removed his helmet and looked at Mako, who had also removed his helmet and was glancing around.

"Sir, may I suggest a bit of exploring?" Kael proposed questioningly.

"Yes, trooper, a bit of a look-see would do well. You head east. Crash you head west. I'll go north," Mako agreed, pointing into different sections of forest.

"Sir, yes, Sir," both troopers responded and went their ways quickly.

Kael took the clearest route through the trees, and it quickly grew darker by the step.

"Thank the stars for night vision," he commented aloud, glad it was still working. However, after walking deep into the forest, and away from Mako and Crash for some time, Kael began to wonder if this was such a good idea.

Should I head back?

He scanned the trees.

No, we need to understand our surroundings.

Kael took a careful step over a dark branch, completely unaware of the two glowing eyes watching him from above. Then he heard a snap and stopped slowly, looking around. He turned around and looked into the trees.

There's nothing there. I must have stepped on something.

Trying to convince himself he was alone, he took one last glance then continued. As it got darker he began to be more cautious.

I'm alone. It's just me here.

Continuing to think this so as to keep his courage up, Kael went deeper into the forest. Then he heard a low growl.

I hope that was not real.

He glanced around, raising his blaster to be ready for anything.

No, that was too real.

He stopped short and turned around slowly. As he looked around he hoped he was not being followed by some strange creature. Taking a cautious step back, Kael stepped on a stick and it snapped, the sound echoing in the dark forest. Suddenly, something leapt out of a tree straight for him. He tried to move but was frozen in shock. Then a red laser bolt zipped past him and struck the creature.

Its welcome glow of light quickly distinguished, leaving only a distant smell of burnt fur and an invisible wisp of smoke. The animal yelped and fell to the forest floor inches away from Kael's feet, dead. Recovering from the shock, Kael whipped around to see if it was Mako or Crash who had saved him, but the person had already fled, and he was alone in the forest once again. Kael didn't see either of them and was too cautious to call just in case other vicious creatures happened to be lurking nearby. He just waited.

After standing there, wondering who it was that could have saved him for about ten minutes, Kael looked back over at the creature that had tried to kill him. He crouched down, peering at it closely and identified it as a Nexu.

I was definitely being followed. But at least I've recovered enough data for the others.

He noticed the hole burned into the Nexu's side and realized if it was a native who did that they might be armed. Taking a deep breath, he decided to head back and meet the others.

That was way too close. I know it didn't kill me, but when I get back I have a feeling Mako might for being careless.

Kael pushed aside some vines that were hanging from the tree branches just overhead. He looked ahead and heard something that sounded like footsteps. Cautiously, he went forward and pushed aside some branches to see what it was. He felt very relieved to find it was just Mako and Crash waiting for him.

"You took long enough, trooper. Stop for caf along the way?" Mako said, taking one look at Kael.

"No, Sir. Sorry, Sir," said Kael quickly. Mako nodded in approval before glancing over his shoulder.

"What did you find while you were exploring?" he asked.

"A Nexu," said Kael cringing.

"How did you find the Nexu?" said Mako more seriously.

"Probably tried to eat him," Crash joked.

"Crash," Mako said pointedly, looking at the senior pilot.

Kael remained silent until Mako looked back at him.

"Was the Nexu dead or alive?"

"Alive, Sir, but a mysterious party shot it."

"Were you able to identify which weapon was used by our mysterious party?"

"Yessir, it was a standard issue DC-15 blaster, no mods. That's all I could derive from the accuracy of the shot," answered Kael.

"Good work. This may mean the natives are not the primitive beings I thought they were," replied Mako.

"Where do you think the natives got these blasters?" Crash cut in.

"What makes you ask that?" Mako replied.

"The only trade route close to this sector is the Rimma trade route, and it's controlled by the Republic. I looked at all the trade ships coming this way and none were supplying blasters, let alone visiting this planet," Crash offered.

Kael frowned then asked, "Sir, could that imply that the mysterious party is not native?"

"It very well could," replied Mako.

"Could someone be tracking us?"

"It's possible," Mako agreed, pulling his helmet on. "Should we--," Kael started.

Mako silenced him by holding up one gloved finger. He tapped his helmet and Kael placed his on his head. Crash followed suit.

"I want you both to stay on our private channel until we reach that city. The Seppies may be watching us," Mako answered.

"Yessir," Kael and Crash echoed.

"Stay here a moment and act casual," Mako said. "Copy," said Kael.

"I read you," replied Crash, waiting about five minutes before Mako finally motioned for him and Kael to fall in. Without a word, both resumed their current course and followed Mako back into the trees.

\\\\\\\

While the three clones trekked through the forest, a shadowy figure was watching them. As the figure watched them, it carefully and silently traveled from tree to tree, following them on their journey.

They're going to need help.

It watched how they were just walking through the forest alertly and cautiously.

When the time comes I'll reveal myself, but for now I only observe.

It climbed to another branch.

They know nothing of this world it seems. Other than what their data tells them.

It smiled. This figure, unlike others, had not lost track of time as it lived here, yet had come to not even care. It remembered nothing before the crash that had marooned it on this desolate planet and figured anyone that had come with it was now dead.

\\\\\\\

High above the planet in his tinny droid ship, General Grievous paced back and forth before a holoimage of Count Dooku.

"I want you to land on the planet and find proof those clones are dead," the Count ordered, his calm voice like a knife.

"Yes, Count," the General growled, his own low voice angry and annoyed.

"Take the bounty hunter with you. He has been given a mission and you must deliver him to the planet. Do not fail me General," Dooku warned.

The bounty hunter known as Mastro Ktar stood beside the impatient General. He seemed as calm as Dooku yet as ruthless as Grievous. He was to search for information and answers to rumors his employer had heard. Answers only the planet could reveal.

"Yes, my lord."

Grievous kneeled before Dooku's image and the Count cut the transmission. Now turning to the bounty hunter, Grievous pointed a long finger in his face.

"The Count may have ordered me to deliver you, but until we land you follow my rules," he threatened. Ktar said nothing, only turned and left the room leaving a furious General in his wake.

\\\\\\\

An hour passed, and before long Kael decided to strike up a conversation.

"Sir, if the Separatists are watching us, do you think they have landed a ship on the planet? If so, we could hijack it for a ride home," suggested Kael.

"I like your thinking Kael," Mako said using Kael's name instead of calling him Rookie.

"Thank you, Sir," said Kael watching as halo-hoppers flew in and out of the tree tops.

"You know, praise is not something Sergeant Mako gives lightly," said Crash. Kael nodded.

"You should know," Mako told Crash.

Crash simply said, "Oh I do, Sir."

Kael hung back as the two of them began talking. "Mako, how long have you been in service now?" Crash asked.

"Since the battle of Geonosis, I just didn't participate in it," Mako responded.

"So you missed the big Jedi-Sith throw-down."

"Yes, why? Was it important?" questioned Mako.

"No, Sir, just trying to make small talk," said Crash.

"Crash, I would stick to teasing rookies."

"Roger, roger," agreed Crash, making all of them laugh.

\\\\\\\

The figure stopped at the same time as the three clones. Still taking cover in the upper branches of the trees, it watched them intently, wondering what could be so familiar about them that they seemed almost like... The figure was unsure of what.

I must get to know them better. Should I show myself or not?

It began to think.

What if they are a threat? After all they have weapons. I'd better be careful. Who knows what trouble they will cause?

Then it lowered itself down a few branches silently to get a closer look.

It seems the one they call Kael is not the most talkative. The one called Mako is tough. They call him Sergeant, meaning he is a higher rank, I believe.

It crouched only a few feet above the three, watching silently.

\\\\\\\

"Sir, I have the feeling we're being watched," Kael muttered, his voice amplified by the helmets comm.

"We probably are being watched," responded Mako.

"Separatists?" asked Kael.

"Positive of it."

"You think they've gotten down here already?" inquired Crash.

"Yes, or they've sent a probe," Mako answered. "That's quick action for droids."

"Yes it is," said Mako. "We must have some importance to them, otherwise we'd be dead by now," he added.

"C'mon Sarge, the dumb droids aren't that efficient," Crash said.

Mako looked at him and said, "They can be."

"Sir, I hope they weren't," Kael said, hoping it to be true.

"You and me both, trooper," said Mako.

"Sarge, you think the Seppies knew about our mission?" Crash asked.

"No, I think they are here for a different reason, we just happened to show up," responded Mako adding the last part with a bit of a dire tone.

Kael looked back down at ground, "Sounds like someone else is here. Other than possible natives," he said.

"Sounds like you're jumping to conclusions," Mako returned, slicing a long, overhanging branch out of the path with his vibroshiv.

Kael lowered his gaze, "Yessir," he said.

"Conclusions are no better than the facts they're based on," said Crash. Kael did not respond to him, and they then resumed silence.

\\\\\\\

In his assigned quarters, the bounty hunter waited for planetfall. Patiently he sat there, until his transmitter beeped, notifying him that Count Dooku was trying to contact him. Tapping the monitor, he watched the holo-figure of his employer rise up before his eyes.

"Sir," he said waiting for a reply.

"When you reach the planet, break off from the others. I have been informed that four clones crash landed about ten kilometers from your destined landing site. A bounty hunter is also in residence there. You know your mission to find the alleged Commander Hotshot. Do so at any cost. Do not let your mission be known," his employer informed him most severely.

"I would rather die than let my mission be known," Mastro responded.

"Good, inform me when you have completed your mission, and send any information you collect to my personal channel using encryption code 1202."

"No worries. I'll find your clone," Ktar reminded his employer.

"I have none."

The transmission was cut from the other end just as a battle droid opened the door to inform Mastro that they had reached the planet's surface. As the droid finished its sentence, Mastro pulled out a hand gun and blasted it to pieces.

\\\\\\\

"Sir, it looks like we might be getting closer to the city. There are a lot more footprints, and this is beginning to look more like a real road," said Kael.

"Good observation," said Mako.

"Thank you, Sir," said Kael.

"Might come in handy one day," said Mako.

Crash smiled, "You certainly are coming along well," he said to Kael. Kael didn't reply. Mako ignored them and kept walking. Soon he saw a bend in the road and stopped a minute to let them catch up. Seeing that Mako was waiting on them, Crash and Kael ran to catch up.

"Glad you could join me," said Mako, and all three of them continued. Just around the bend was the city they had been trekking to. Kael wanted to say something but thought better of it and didn't.

"Looks like once we make it up there we can stop and look for local help," said Mako pointing to the town.

"Good idea, Sir," said Crash. Kael nodded and picked up the pace so as to keep time with them both.

All three trekked steadily up the overgrown and worn path and soon they reached the town.

Then Kael finally decided to make a comment, "Sir, it doesn't look like anyone's here."

"We're about to find out," said Mako.

Shrugging, Kael followed as they walked into the open gates. He carefully took note that they looked neglected.

"Looks like this place is deserted after all," said Crash after looking around a minute.

"I thought something looked off," Kael muttered, still sort of in his own mind.

Crash shrugged. Walking ahead, Mako looked into some of the empty market stalls for any clues to what had happened. Crash and Kael saw they were getting left behind again and ran ahead to join Mako.

"Sir, do you think the natives are Separatist hostages?" asked Kael when they caught up.

"It's possible but unlikely," said Mako without looking back.

"Think the inhabitants left any place to stay?" asked Kael.

"We can find something," said Mako and looked up. "Crash, what time is it?"

"It looks to be late afternoon. I don't have a chrono with me," said Crash.

"No excuses, trooper," Mako reminded.

"Yessir," Crash answered.

The sergeant continued, "From the looks of this place I'd guess a Separatist bombardment, or the natives went extinct."

"I agree, Sir," Kael said. Crash didn't answer.

"Kael, I want you to head over that way and look around. Crash, you go that west and I'll go this east," interrupted Mako pointing in different directions as he talked.

"Yessir," answered Kael and headed where he was supposed to go. Crash nodded and did the same. Mako watched them leave then headed off to check out his part of the city.

\\\\\\\

The figure followed one of the clones to see where it was going. Gripping its blaster tightly, it followed the clone as he walked into one of the buildings that seemed intact. The clone silently walked through the house looking in each room as the figure followed silently behind hiding whenever possible.

The clone soon reached a room where the power was out, and the figure followed, feeling much safer in the dark. As it watched the clone, it saw the clone distracted and grabbed its blaster, silently spinning it and grabbing it so that it was pointed at the clone's back. Seeing that the clone was not alert, the figure took its chance.

\\\\\\\

Crash wandered around, looking into deserted houses only to find them half demolished.

Well, this is a waste of time, Crash thought.

He looked into another house to see it falling in on itself.

I wonder what happened.

Looking to his left, he saw a house that looked ready to collapse if a zess fly landed on it. Most had already fallen apart and were now almost unrecognizable, yet he kept walking from house to house, looking in. Soon he found one that seemed sturdy. He walked in to look inside.

Looking better. Maybe it was just an earthquake.

He poked his head into some of the rooms.

I wonder who lived here. Looked rich whoever it was.

Crash took note that most of the stuff looked expensive. He walked to the back and then into one of the rooms that looked to be the kitchen.

They left me some caf, how nice.

He smiled at his own personal joke. Noticing another door in the back, he shrugged.

No light.

Entering the room, he saw it was pitch black inside and there was no light source nearby. He cautiously walked in and felt around to make sure there was no light. Then heard a scuttling noise. Pointing his blaster where he had heard the noise, he walked forward on high alert. He felt around on his helmet and found the light. Switching it on, he looked around to see what was in here.

Nothing? I heard a noise, though.

He took another step and looked around, suddenly spotting an energy disk in the corner.

Bounty Hunters?

Crash walked over and picked it up, turning it over and looking at it to see what it was or had been. Suddenly, he heard something above him. He looked up to see what it was, but there was nothing. Looking back down at the metal in his hand, he put it down. As he stood up, something crept up behind him. All of a sudden, before Crash could make a sound, everything went dark as night.


	3. 2

Kael finished scouting around and headed back to where he, Crash, and Mako had been earlier only to find that Mako was already there.

"Sir, where's Crash? Has he made it back yet?" asked Kael as he got closer. "No," said Mako.

"So he's not here," answered Kael.

"No."

"Should we wait, Sir."

"Yes," said Mako taking a seat on some rocks. Kael relaxed some and removed his helmet.

"Sir, you still think the Seps did this?" Kael continued, in a more leisurely way.

"No, I'm beginning to think it was natural causes," said Mako. "What about you?"

"I had the same thought, Sir."

"I think maybe an earthquake."

"I was thinking more like a windstorm," Kael replied.

"Both are possible," answered Mako getting up and walking over.

"Yessir," was Kael's reply.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Crash slowly became aware he was being dragged by a slightly smaller person, who was pulling him from his shoulders. Deciding not to open his eyes to see his captor, he almost thought about where his captor was going, but his head hurt and right now he didn't feel like finding out. Then he tried to open his eyes and found himself blindfolded.

Well, this is great, Crash thought and tried to twist some to see if he could get free somehow.

Duracord.

He discovered it quickly and began to think on who this person, or thing, was that had taken him.

Maybe the natives are more hostile than we think.

He could see how that might pose a problem. Then he shut his eyes to think better and fell unconscious once more.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

An hour passed quickly as Mako and Kael stood there talking and waiting on their pilot. Kael looked up.

"Sir, still no sign of Crash," he said.

"I know, let's go search for him," Mako agreed and picked up his pack heading off in the direction he had sent Crash. Kael followed him hastily.

After walking that way for some time, Kael and Mako still hadn't found Crash.

"You think some natives were left over and he got captured?" asked Kael.

"Possibly, but I highly doubt it. Crash is too careful, despite his name," responded Mako checking one of the houses as they walked past.

"I read you, Sir," answered Kael as he poked his head into another crumbling house. Mako ran ahead some seeing some shallow depressions in the dusty, blackish soil. He confirmed they were Crash's footprints by matching the tread on his own. Kael saw him and picked up the pace. Mako slowed as he came to the house Crash had entered.

"In here," he ordered seeing the footprints stop, and he walked into the house. Kael acknowledged the order, following him into the house.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Crash re-awoke when he felt the figure stop. This time, he found that the blindfold had been removed, and he glanced around wondering where he was. He saw that he was in a large, dark, dry cave into which someone, seemingly a bounty hunter, had made into a shelter.

Who lives here?

He looked around for more clues. Crash noted a DC-15 and some other assorted blasters in a corner but other than that, some armor and specialized gear, he didn't find anything unusual other than a bounty hunter living in a cave. Then he rubbed his wrists together, testing his bonds, and found that the duracord had been replaced by regular cable. While he had been doing this, the same mysterious captor had come in and saw him struggling.

"Be still," someone ordered severely and pointed a blaster at him. Crash looked up, right into the business end of a blaster. He stopped struggling and looked past the blaster to see a bounty hunter, a female bounty hunter. He wanted to ask her name but, remembering the blaster, thought better of it.

"I know. You're wondering what my name is. It's Vire," said the bounty hunter lowering the blaster. "And you can talk," she added. Her was voice cold with a tone that told him she was giving him a withered look behind the helmet she wore.

"Okay," said Crash cautiously as he took note of her appearance. She wore a gray-green jumpsuit with an armored vest layered on top. Two clone belts crisscrossed at her hips, and elbow length gauntlets covered her lower arms. Red padding on the legs of the jumpsuit indicated it was made for speeder riding. Then he glanced at her face and wondered what kind of expression she had now behind the green visor and gunmetal-gray helmet.

"What's your name, clone?" asked Vire.

"Crash," he answered. "How did you know I'm a clone?"

"C'mon, half the Galaxy knows what a clone is. It shouldn't be a surprise," she said matter-of-factly. "Now about your two colleagues, what are their names?"

"Mako and Kael," answered Crash, figuring it couldn't do any damage to tell her.

"So what business do you three have here?"

"You ask a lot of questions," replied Crash, not answering the question.

"So?" said Vire casually.

Crash didn't answer.

"I asked you what you're doing here? Did the Republic send you?" she repeated tersely.

"We aren't here because we were sent. We crashed," he answered sharply. Then he silently cursed, regretting mentioning they were almost defenseless on an unknown planet to a bounty hunter.

"Oh did you?"

"How did you get here?"

"I ask the questions here, soldier boy."

"Suit yourself."

"How long have you been here?" she asked, relaxing some.

"Just got here."

"Good," said Vire, and she holstered the blaster before turning to leave.

Crash was silent for a moment after she left, thankful she hadn't blasted him on the spot.

Then wondering if she was still near, he called out, "Go on and leave me here!"

Faintly he heard her mocking reply. "My pleasure!" Then all was silent.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Inside the house, Kael and Mako were searching for clues as to what had happened to Crash.

"Anything trooper?" inquired Mako.

"Not yet," Kael replied, dropping the 'Sir' for the first time. Then he suggested, "We could check the back of the house."

"Sounds okay," agreed Mako, and they headed to the back of the house.

"It's dark back here," said Kael as they entered the room where Crash had last been.

"Doesn't have to be," said Mako. He flipped on the lights on his helmet and Kael did the same. Both of them swung the lights around, searching the room slowly to look for more clues. Kael spotted the small disk Crash had found.

"Sir, come look at this!" he said and picked it up.

"What?" said Mako and came over.

"This is a standard energy disk, commonly used by bounty hunters. You think one, hired by the Seps, could have tracked us out here?" Kael said.

"It's to be considered," said Mako and Kael set the disk back down.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire walked out and looked around.

Should I get the others?

Something about these three bothered her, and she couldn't figure it out. The Separatists had never put a bounty or anything worth money on clones, but something told her having them around meant something good, for her.

No, I need to know more.

She went to check around for another Nexu. The creatures were one of the many exotic animals she had found on this planet. Wondering if they had been imported, she had killed one or two, looking for the tags exotic importers planted just beneath the animal's skin. The tags often told their planet of origin and their destination. Some even put the importer's symbol on the tags. She didn't really have a practical reason for doing this, other than a way to occupy herself. Nothing much mattered to her anymore only survival, sanity, and preferable escape. Only two of which she had attained.

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Crash looked around to make sure she had left and then struggled a bit to angle his gauntlet in towards the knot of the rope. Carefully ejecting the vibroshiv that was hidden inside the gauntlet, he let it slice through the cord. His bonds fell off easily. Cutting free his legs, he grabbed what looked like his blaster and got up, checking to make sure Vire was still gone.

That was too easy of an escape. She probably has some other plan other than keeping me here, he concluded. He had escaped from many places, but it was never this easy. Crash exited the cave and saw that Vire really was gone. Then he slipped out and began a long walk back to the abandoned city.

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Back at the city, Mako and Kael had left the house and were still searching for Crash. An hour and a half had passed since they had begun their search, and they were beginning to worry.

"This is really not good, Sir," said Kael, sounding worried.

"I agree. Crash isn't anywhere," Mako replied, as he checked another demolished house.

"Maybe he got back, and we just missed him," offered Kael hoping what he had said was true.

"It's always possible. We should head back either way," Mako agreed. Kael nodded, and the two headed back.

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Crash walked through the forest until he saw the city. Picking up the pace he kept going.

I hope Kael and Mako aren't too worried.

Nearing the city, he saw them heading back to the entrance.

"Sir!" he called, and they both turned surprised.

"There you are. We were beginning to think you had gotten killed," Mako said in a slightly raised voice as he stopped to face Crash.

"Was I gone that long?" Crash asked a little surprised himself.

"Yes, you were. What happened?" asked Kael, jumping into the conversation.

"I got knocked out and then kidnapped by a bounty hunter named Vire. She interrogated me on names and reasons for our appearance. Then she left," explained Crash.

"Did either of you see any ship's land on the planet while we were traveling?" asked Mako, wondering when this new figure had arrived.

"No, Sir," said Kael.

"Sir, from the way she acted I think she's stranded here too, or it's a trap," said Crash.

"We have to consider every possibility," said Mako.

By now, it seems like there are too many possibilities to consider, Kael thought darkly. "Either way, I have a shelter located," Mako added quickly.

"Following you," said Crash, and all three of them headed off.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Half an hour later, Vire headed back to where she had left Crash. Walking in, she noticed that Crash had gotten free.

Good for him. I didn't need him anymore, and it would have been so messy to get rid of him.

She pulled off her helmet and shook her head to get her short hair more in place.

I'll find them all tomorrow.

Vire tossed her blaster in with the others sitting in the corner. She looked around then sat down crossed legged on the cold floor.

I need to rest or tomorrow will be a lost cause.

She tossed her helmet aside and smiled. Tomorrow was going to be a most interesting day.

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Crash, Kael, and Mako were all sitting in the place Mako had found them shelter in.

"Are you cold Kael?" asked Crash seeing Kael shivering, after all, their armor wasn't made for weather quite this cold.

"Yessir, I've never been anywhere this freezing," said Kael deciding to be honest.

"You get used to it once you been from Hoth to Ando Prime," said Mako, not even looking up from his comlink.

"Still looking for a window in their transmissions, Sir?" asked Kael, meaning the Separatist transmission jamming their signal.

"Yes and no," was all Mako said. Crash looked over.

"Your checking recent encryption codes to see if they work," he said.

"Right."

"And if the code works, the Seps won't even know who sent the transmission," put in Kael.

"Dead on," responded Mako looking up.

"Brilliant," said Crash. Kael didn't say anything more.

"Standard procedure with a bit of creativity," continued Mako as he shut off the comm. "I'll finish the list tomorrow," he added. Kael shrugged and Crash nodded. Soon after that, and a meal of dry rations, they all lay down to rest up before the next day.

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That same night, Grievous's ship made planetfall and landed in the west canyons, only twelve klicks from the city in which the clones had taken shelter. Supposedly hidden by the maze of walls that made up the canyon, Grievous, and his droids made camp. Even though it was the dead of night, Grievous had ordered the droids to set things up on arrival. His bounty hunter passenger, Mastro Ktar, watched uninterestedly as the droids hauled this and that across the surprisingly marshy canyon floor. However, the most amusing sight was when a hapless droid got stuck in the stagnant mire and struggled to get lose.

Stalking up to the bounty hunter, Grievous addressed Ktar. "You find our work interesting?" he growled at the bounty hunter.

"No, only the fact you would select a position that would disadvantage you and give your enemies the upper hand. That, to me, is quite interesting," Ktar mocked calmly.

Balling his hands into fists, Grievous snarled. "So you side with clones," he replied.

"Only if you count my employer."

Mastro then brushed himself off and gazed at the canyon ridge. "Well, I must be on my way. Enjoy your marsh General."

Then he walked off without another word, leaving Grievous fuming behind him.

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In his head, Grievous made a note to always check the conditions of landing sites as he surveyed the marsh that laid on the bottom of the canyon. Warily, he also watched the bounty hunter watch his droids with a kind of humorous interest. With disgust, he saw yet another useless droid get bogged down and stop working. Deciding to find what the bounty hunter found so funny, he stalked over. After a curt discussion, the hand for hire left and Grievous glared after him with bloodshot yellow eyes. That man, Ktar, knew all too well just which buttons to press. So Grievous swore that someday he would press every single one that bounty hunter had, just for fun.

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Leaving Grievous and his machines behind, Mastro walked slowly through the canyon using a map integrated into his visor. The map showed the canyon to be at least ten miles wide, and a huge matrix of marsh and stone. Sloshing through more green water, Ktar remembered in disgust how his ancestors had avoided coming this far east. Mastro Ktar was one of the Rast, a primitive but intellectual race that occupied the sandy cave filled deserts of East Nagem, Sebrit in their language. The Rast had always been fond of grouping together, and Mastro was one of the few to be exiled from his own species. However he now felt much better off on his own even if it was on his home planet.

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Many kilometers above the planet Nagem, Count Dooku sat in a high-backed command chair that gave him a full one-hundred-eighty-degree view of the command deck aboard the Striker, a Separatist battleship fully armed for battle. Dooku was overseeing his droid crew's actions as he sat silently. Next to him stood a young boy about ten years in age. The boy stood straight and tall next to the tall chair. He kept his chin high and watched the droids with a displeasure anyone could have noted. This boy looked angry and hurt, but to tough to show it openly. His tan skin and dark hair matched his dark demeanor. Dooku seemed not to notice the young man as he stood and ordered the droid commander to hold their position. Turning to his young counterpart, he motioned for the boy to follow him. The young man waited until Dooku stalked past, his brown cape silently billowing behind him giving an air of malevolence and power. Following his older peer, the boy entered a turbo lift that took them down to the main hangar and droid storing facilities. Glancing around the room, Dooku proudly surveyed everything.

"This is what your father supported Boba. I'm sure he would have wanted to be at the front, leading legions of these fine machines, for we all know he always wanted for you nothing less," he announced, pointing to racks of fresh droids straight from the Geonosian factories.

"My father wants me to collect his money from Jabba. I'm only here because I wish for you to help me find the truth to a rumor I have heard. If he wanted me leading your worthless machines, he would have told me," the boy countered, casting an annoyed look at the droids. "Rumors that I have a sister."

"The truth you will have, with patience, my boy. I am only envisioning what help your skills could be to this war, and how they might help end it."

"I care nothing of your war. I will not choose the Republic, but I will make no direct ties to the Separatists. You know full well that my father trusted you, and I do too. Even so, I will not play a part in your scheme of war."

"As you wish Boba. I will not force you against your will," Dooku answered darkly.

"Thank you."

"Now tell me, why it is you wish to prove these rumors true or false, for the more I know the more I can provide," Dooku said, changing the subject as he clasped his hands thoughtfully in front of him. A serious look on his hawk-like face.

"The only reason is that they interest me, that is all," Boba replied.

"That has been noted. Perhaps I should ask what the rumors are specifically about."

"I have heard that it is possible a clone designated CC/ 881/6 has been named the first, and only, female clone on the battlefront. I wish to know if there is such a person. I have my own reasons for my curiosity which you have no reason to know at this point."

"I understand."

Seeming not to notice Dooku's comment, Boba continued, "Seeing as you have direct access to Kaminoan files, I would like to search for any notes about a clone under this designation. Your droid analysts have already turned up information about a droid ship shooting down a Republic ship containing two Republic clones in this sector. One had a designation ending with a-16, the rest was of no use to my cause. You know I have deployed a bounty hunter to search crash site of these two for clues to her presence. Other than that I have nothing else to work with. That is what you can help me with."

Dooku considered all the data before carefully, answering in an authoritative tone, "So it is true you do not know if she was on this ship you are only guessing.'

"Yes, based on the facts your droids gave me. Should I doubt their functionality?"

"No, I was only asking."

"Fine, is there anything you can add?"

"No, other than don't get your hopes up," the Count answered darkly.

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The next morning Kael was the first one up. He woke up Mako and then saw Crash still asleep.

"Wake him, we need to get going," ordered Mako as he stood up, grabbing his helmet and slipping it on.

"Yessir," said Kael, putting on his helmet as well.

"After he's awake get your gun," said Mako, grabbing his pack and slipping it on.

"Where are we going?" questioned Kael, as he was shaking Crash awake. Crash blinked, then saw Kael.

"I'm up," he mumbled figuring he had overslept.

"To find a bounty hunter," said Mako, and he walked over to where Kael was standing. Crash nodded as he stood up and then grabbed his helmet and pack, joining the others.

"Sir, are we looking for the one who assaulted Crash," asked Kael as Crash joined them.

"Yes, so be prepared," said Mako, glancing over at Crash.

"Good idea, sergeant," said Crash.

Mako nodded, then ordered, "Alright then let's move out."

They followed him out of the house then out of the town.

"Crash, where were you taken when she kidnapped you," asked Mako as they reached the edge of the town.

"I was in a cave when I re-awoke. It looked to be in this same forest, but I could be wrong," Crash replied.

"An abandoned one?" asked Mako.

"No, the bounty hunter was occupying it," said Crash and fell silent as Mako started speaking again.

"We're going west then. My map shows more caves and canyons that way," he ordered, looking down each path.

"Mine shows the same," said Crash and followed Mako into a heavily wooded area. Kael remained silent and followed.

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Vire was still asleep by the time they had set out and was enjoying it too. Nothing much woke her, and she didn't even notice when Mastro came banging through her shelter on accident. He had walked through the entire canyon the night before and was now in the forest following his map to the destination he was assigned to reach. Reconnaissance was not usually his genre of work, but for the amount Boba Fett was paying he would do almost anything. Therefore, he was currently picking his way through another bounty hunters camp without even realizing it. Stepping carefully over a few felled tree branches, he then pushed his way back into the trees and was on his way, not even realizing how ignorant he had been of another competitor in the game.

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Meanwhile, Mako led the three of them far from Vire's camp. However, he and the others did run across something helpful to their search.

"Is this discarded clone armor?" Crash asked.

"So it seems, but it's clearly an ARC trooper's," responded Mako calmly, glancing down at the scuffed armor kit.

"That's good, right, Sir?" Kael said.

"It could be," Mako answered. He kneeled down and picked up the helmet. "Still online," he mumbled.

"Any useful data?" inquired Crash as calmly as Mako had.

"Well, it seems that either this is stolen, or ARC trooper Calso's running around Nagem in his bodysuit," Mako answered.

"Calso?" asked Crash, his tone changing to that of surprise. Mako turned back around to face Crash.

"No doubt about it," he said.

"Is there a significance to the name, Sir?" asked Kael.

"Yes. Calso worked with the 514th a lot. As you can see, he even donned the Legion's colors, white and gray," Mako explained.

Kael nodded and replied, "Sounds like he might be helpful."

"A big help," responded Crash.

Then Mako addressed both of them in a serious tone, "Troopers, I'm adding a new mission other than escape. We find Calso and bring him with us."

Kael let Mako finish then asked, "What if this is really old and he's already left, Sir?"

"Then we really are on our own," Mako said.

"Don't forget our Seppie friends. They're here too," Crash joked.

"Some party this'll be," answered Mako.

"I completely agree, Sir," Kael said.


	4. 3

While the three clones were trooping about in the forest searching for their friend and Crash's kidnapper, a group of commando droids had been specially deployed to search for the three of them. Silently taking cover in the treetops as Vire had when she was tracking the clones, they searched. A brand new project, the commando droids were supposed to be superior, and ultimately they were to be faster, agiler, smarter, as well as a better match for clones and Jedi. Baktoid was well known for their skills in making single-minded hordes of cheap droids to overwhelm and overrun the enemy. Now the Separatists were asking them to make something intelligent and skilled. One could say the Federation was taking things to a limit Baktoid wasn't comfortable with. However, uncomfortable or not, they had produced the commando series battle droid, and now General Grievous was testing them. Whether the commandos worked efficiently or not would decide their fate. Perching on a high branch, the first commando droid designated A-5 scanned the area using a heat-signature filter. The other two commandos, A-10, and A-3 were also busy scanning for bio-signs. After five minutes, all scans came up negative. The droids recorded this in their internal data cores which would later connect with Grievous's ship logs, so he could view the whole thing. Looking up at the other two commandos, A-5 spoke in a gravelly voice.

"We must move to sector 61104-Q now," he ordered. Without so much as a word, the other two commandos acknowledged this and followed him. Swinging from branch to branch and leaping across gaps they encountered in the tree cover, they covered the distance quickly. Stopping only mere feet from their previous location, all three tuned their scanners once more continuing the search for their enemy.

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While this action had been going on, Vire had slept peacefully through it all, and she was now up. Stalking through the trees, she was followed a vornskr to its den. One pistol raised, she silently took a cautious step forward unaware she wasn't the only one hunting. The vornskr stopped and Vire abruptly came to a halt. She watched it carefully sniff the air as though it scented trouble. Sliding behind a tree and hoping it wouldn't smell her, she heard a light footstep. Vire stepped away from the tree to see where the vornskr was heading now. To her surprise, it hadn't moved. Confused and startled she began to move away, and in that very instant she tripped backward falling over a branch of sorts. Vire's helmet came flying off and tumbled under some brush. Looking up she felt fear wash over her, but she saw no one. As if out of nowhere a gloved reptilian hand clamped over her open mouth. She felt the person behind her get a firm hold around her arms before dragging her to her feet. The moment Vire was upright, she felt dizzy, and the trees around her swirled into a spiral of blue and brown before slowly fading to black.

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Mastro caught the woman as she fainted and collapsed. She was heavier than he had thought, yet he managed to drag her into a clump of brush that shielded them from sight. Tapping his portable comlink, Mastro contacted Count Dooku.

"Count, tell Fett that I found a woman here. She's a bounty hunter and, from the looks, has been here for some time. I'm gonna take her back to the General's camp and ask her some questions; he okay with that?" Mastro said in a questioning tone as he kept one eye on Vire, just in case.

"Yes, he is fine with that. He says to report back when you have learned all you can," Dooku answered.

"Got it."

Mastro shut off the comlink and glanced at Vire. She was still unconscious. After taking a good look at her, he realized she was missing her helmet. Standing, he scanned the ground for it but found no trace. Figuring it wouldn't be a problem, Mastro looked back at Vire. Groaning inside, he tied her hands then grabbed her under the arms before dragging his captive back to the Separatist camp.

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Boba Fett glared up at Dooku.

"I told you to tell him to get rid of her. Why did you ignore me? Ktar was hired by me," he growled, a furious look crossing his youthful face.

"What I ordered Ktar to do will benefit your goal more. This bounty hunter woman might have information, useful information," Dooku told Fett calmly.

"I don't like it. She's going to be more trouble than she's worth," Boba said and turned away from Dooku, crossing his arms with an annoyed look.

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After some time, Mastro made it back to Grievous's droid hide out and was gladly relieved of Vire. Two battle droids then carried her to a temporary prison block that Grievous had set up. As the droids carried Vire off, Grievous stalked up to Mastro and thrust his metal face in front of the bounty hunters.

"Why did you bring her here? She'll only cause trouble!" he raged.

Mastro struggled to keep a calm facade, even though his cold blood boiled in anger.

He calmly said, "orders from the Count. This woman might prove useful."

Giving a grumble of disapproval Grievous pulled back and hunched himself forward, his tattered, black cape falling over one shoulder looking like the last few remains of skin on a skeletal and dead carcass.

"TC-6, arrange for me to interrogate the prisoner. I want her fully awake to answer all my questions," he barked before turning on his heels, leaving Mastro to once again stand there alone wondering why Dooku wanted him to accompany this walking scrap pile.

After standing around for about an hour and inspecting the camp Grievous had established in the boggy environment, Mastro contacted Dooku to report that the delivery had been made. He asked if Dooku had any further orders from his employer.

"He asks that you remain at the droid encampment for a few. That is until your new ally has arrived," Dooku said.

"New ally?" Mastro asked warily. His scaled face contorted into an expression of slight disgust.

"Yes, your employer mentioned that the clones may have interacted with this bounty hunter whom you captured, and they may be alarmed to find her missing. We are sending another outlaw named Rinka Brun, a renowned identity thief. Rinka will pose as the woman for a time to keep their suspicions from arousing. She will need to be present for the interrogation so she can learn all she can about the bounty hunter's history to make her story convincible," Dooku replied in a lengthy explanation.

"What of the clones?"

"We will either capture or kill them."

"Yes, master."

Mastro watched the transmission holo fade away, then lowered the comm to his belt. He leaned back on a post and watched the droids work awhile. He waited a little while longer, wondering when he was going to get back to his search.

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Rinka Brun, a master identity thief, sat in the co pilot's seat of the ship which was delivering her to the planet Nagem. She warily watched the droid pilot as he settled the rickety droid ship on the swamp Grievous had claimed. Climbing out she surveyed the area before seeing Mastro, who had walked over beside her. Turning to him, she began to ask and he simply nodded a silent reply. Grievous joined the pair shortly and interrupted their silent exchange.

"Another one! What does the Count want me to do with you?" he snarled at Rinka.

"I'm here to solve your missing bounty hunter problem. In other words, I am to pose as this woman Ktar here has captured. Understood?" She asked the question in such a tone Grievous didn't reply immediately.

"Fine," he eventually grumbled. "I take it you'll want to listen to our interrogation."

"Yes, but I only need a name, age, history, and convincing outfit," Rinka stated. Grievous made no reply, only swung around and stalked toward the prison block. Rinka followed silently, slipping in behind him. Inside was bright and colorless; Vire sat on the floor, her hands locked in binders. Her face was no longer obscured by a helmet, but she had armor and padding that covered a deep green-gray jumpsuit. Vire was crosslegged on the floor with her hands in her lap and she looked up at them, her expression suggesting annoyance. All this Rinka noted in the time it took Grievous to walk towards the prisoner.

"You're going to ask me my name, reason, and current employer," the prisoner said in a dull tone. Rinka was surprised Vire made no objection to speaking, unlike other bounty hunters.

"Yes," Grievous answered, his shock hidden.

"Vire. I have no reason to be on this cursed rock, and I'll work for the highest bidder," Vire offered. Grievous didn't know how to respond to such openness. Now Rinka wasn't so surprised. Many bounty hunters were willing to offer information if it meant personal gain or freedom, although often in the form of lies. She would have done the same.

After that she listened for a few more minutes as the two exchanged information, Vire explained that she remember nothing but crashing on the planet and being stranded. Apparently she had been here for several months and knew the terrain well. Leaving promptly after, Rinka found a droid and asked if it could reproduce Vire's outfit within an hour or two.

"Yes ma'am," it answered in that annoyingly tinny voice. Rinka wanted so badly to shoot it right then and there, but it wasn't good manners. She restrained herself. Within the hour, the droid returned with the costume, right down to the helmet, which surprised Rinka since Vire had no helmet with her. Even so, she took it. Donning it in Mastro's empty quarters, she slipped out of the camp before without so much any notification she was going.

About two hours of walking later, Rinka, posing as Vire, stopped in front of what seemed to be the entrance to a small cave. By the mess strewn about, she guessed Vire was used to a messy lifestyle, or she didn't know what to do with all this stuff. After a quick self-given tour of the cave and its contents, she sat down to go over things. She needed to retain her facade at all times no matter what happened. Unless the Count countered those orders, she was Vire. She couldn't give anything away. Seeing as they had not learned much of the real Vire's history, Rinka decided to keep the past a mystery. The fact Vire had stated she was stranded here also gave Rinka something to give the clones the impression she was as helpless as they were. Hopefully, it would spark trust. Even if such trust was misplaced.

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Kael, Crash, and Mako were once more trekking through an uncharted forest when these events occurred. They were still searching for Vire and Calso even though their attempts were in vain. Luckily, that all changed when Kael stumbled over a coil of rope that suddenly snapped up, ensnaring his leg in a trap that yanked him off his feet. Tumbling head over heels, Kael fell into the dust as the rope went slack. Still shocked he sat up and brushed himself off, slightly embarrassed to have not been more careful. He stepped out of the rope and stood, Crash helping him up.

"Thoughts ensnaring you again?" the pilot asked, meaning it as a joke.

"One could say that," Kael answered. Mako inspected the trap carefully.

"It's not one of Calso's, he would have used cable," Mako stated, holding a bit of rope in his hand.

"Must be Vire's," Crash replied.

"Exactly. That means we're getting close." Mako dropped the cord and scanned the area a

minute. "My map picks up alterations in the landscape. I can only guess Vire's traps. Let's follow them and see if it leads to her," Mako said, presenting the statement as an order.

"Yessir," answered Crash and Kael. Mako waited one more minute as if considering another thought, then boldly lead them forward on a new trail.

Twenty traps later, Kael noticed they were becoming more sparse. He saw a beaten down path through the grasses leading along the same path they were taking.

"Sir, you think we've gotten closer?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Mako, not in a mood to answer the endless barrage of questions.

Quickly, Crash jumped into the conversation changing the subject and saying, "I think I saw a womp rat in one of those traps."

"It was a womp rat," Mako said.

"I thought they lived on Tatooine, not Nagem," replied Crash. When no one answered him he dropped the subject and retreated into his own private thoughts.

I hope we come across Vire soon. We can't search much longer without attracting unwanted attention, he thought, looking up at the trees overhead as he followed Mako and Kael along the overgrown path.

What if she works for the Seppies? Has she reported seeing us?

Crash glanced back.

I haven't seen any signs of someone tracking us, but the feeling we're being watched is still bugging me.

He looked ahead to make sure he was still with Mako and realized he had fallen behind. Picking up the pace Crash decided not to think about Vire for now, seeing as they had yet to find her.

"Crash, you're the aircraft expert. Is this from a Republic gunship?" inquired Mako from up ahead where he and Kael had stopped. Crash jogged forward and looked where Mako was pointing to a missile launcher tube painted tan and gray. It was poking out from bushes surrounding the carcass of a ship.

"Yessir it is left wing tube, been here a while," said Crash after inspecting it thoroughly.

"Conclusion?" asked Mako turning his helmeted head to face Crash.

"Calso's ship, crashed here days, weeks, even months ago," said Crash giving his commanding officer a nod.

"Sir, my HUD scanners are online! They're picking up traces of dirt and soil relevant to this area inside the ship. Fresh, by the date given on the scan," said Kael excitedly.

"Someones visited the ship," said Mako.

"Yessir," said Kael watching the screen on his HUD go dark again and return to normal. "And my HUD is out again," he added a little irritated

"Well, it was helpful while it worked," answered Mako. Crash looked around and out of the corner of his eye he saw a familiar sight-an energy disk. He scooped it up, and without a word, displayed to the others.

"We saw one of those in that abandoned house," exclaimed Kael looking over at Mako.

"Yes, we did, Kael," Mako said picking it up. "And it's from the same set. I can tell from the inner band color."

"Dec would have said the same," said Crash, thinking about the demolitions expert that commonly accompanied Mako on missions.

"Sir?" asked Kael.

"He's the demolitions expert for Disaster squad, the unit you will be joining if, and when, we get off this dull rock. Trusting you do well," said Mako plainly, and he threw the disk into the grass.

"Never a dull moment with him," said Crash.

"Not one," agreed Mako. "Helped me blow up the Ord Mantell listening post after it was overrun by Separatists," he added getting to his feet.

"Great man, if not slightly morbid," answered Crash.

"Not exactly morbid, he just enjoyed his work," Mako said and then looked on his map to see where the trail ended.

"How many more kilometers to go, Sir?" asked Kael.

"Two," answered Mako before ordering, "Move out."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Rinka watched the three red blips on her own scanners move rapidly toward her. Making good time, they had covered much distance since they moved into her range. They had stopped for about ten minutes, but they were now on the move again. That in itself was good news to her. However, it seemed very illogical to just sit here and wait for them to show up. She needed to engage in some sort of activity they could interrupt. Her map also showed a series of strategically placed traps. They had to be Vire's. Who else had survival knowledge and local smarts? Rinka noted that the clones were moving along the line of traps.

Smart.

She would check the traps and intercept them purely on accident; No one could have done it better.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Still trekking through orange grass, the clones reached yet another trap, and Mako called out that they had one more kilometer to go.

"Doing good so far," he called.

"I thought they made you walk a lot on Kamino going from city structure to city structure, you know?" Kael commented to Crash.

"Oh yeah, walking to places on Kamino, that's nothing compared to the workout you'll get on missions. Why else you think we're all so skinny?" Crash joked, patting his stomach plate.

"Yeah, that explains a lot," remarked Kael with a tone of dry sarcasm in his voice.

"Quit joking and pick up the pace," ordered Mako.

Kael fell silent. Crash did too and began looking around. In the trees he thought he saw the flash of a dark figure, a tall figure. Nothing more happened. That was until they reached the second to last trap. Mako saw her first, but Crash was the one who unceremoniously blurted out her name.

"Vire."

Mako heard it over his built in comm unit.

He answered Crash saying, "This is her?"

"Yessir, she's the one."

Kael cut in saying, "I think she noticed us standing

here."

"Yes, she did," Mako answered. Then he snatched a blaster pistol out of its holster at the same time Vire did. Kael and Crash also trained their weapons on her. No one spoke.

Mako finally turned on his audio and broke the silence saying, "You're outgunned. Lay down your weapons."

Vire made no move.

"Lay down your weapons," Mako said more forcefully this time. An air of reluctance about her, Vire set down both blaster pistols and let her arms hang empty at her sides. Mako kept his blaster pistol trained on her as he stepped forward to pick up her weapons.

"Name," he demanded, even though Crash had mentioned it several times.

"Vire."

"Occupation."

"Bounty hunter."

"Current allegiance."

"Me."

Mako lowered his blaster some but motioned to Crash and Kael to keep theirs on her.

"I'm Sergeant Mako of the 514th Republic Attack Brigade. Law states--,"

Vire cut in saying, "I know what the Republic Law states. Bounty hunting is a felony punishable by 1-2 years in Republic prison. Trust me, it's in the contract." She put a hand on her hip. "And I still signed the contract."

Her comments were making Mako feel a bit ticked off, but he continued saying, "If you know its a crime then we have every right to arrest you."

"This isn't Coruscant, soldier boy, it's Nagem. Forget what the law states it doesn't apply to me here," she answered, making her point quite clear.

Silently gritting his teeth at being called soldier boy, Mako kept going, "It applies everywhere. We are not in the outer rim, but there is a reason my men don't have you in binders yet," he said making a point to keep his voice steady and inflicting.

"Alright then, tell them to lower their weapons and we can all have a drink," she replied. Mako didn't call them off.

"You kidnapped one of my men, why?"

"Oh, Crash is one of your troopers. I see. The answer is, I was curious really. He was an easy target."

Crash cringed slightly. He had never considered himself an easy target, especially for scum like this.

"Likely story, but I'll let it pass for now. At ease men," Mako answered. Kael and Crash lowered their guns.

Surprised, but hiding it underneath her mocking cover, Vire made one more comment.

"So I can go?"

"Under one condition, scum," Mako answered, tossing her blasters at her feet. She turned her head as if to ask what, after retrieving her weapons.

"Run."

She nodded and ran.


	5. 4

After Rinka, still posing as Vire left, Kael and Crash looked at Mako, but only Crash spoke.

"You let her go," he said.

"Yes, I didn't want another thing bogging us down. Anyway, she might work for the Separatists or have ties. I don't want her near us for the time being," Mako answered coldly.

"I see your point, though in my opinion she may contact them if she has ties," countered Crash.

"Good point."

Crash waited a moment to reply and said, "May I suggest next time we be a bit more friendly. She may be helpful, Sir."

Kael didn't know what to contribute, so he kept his mouth shut and listened.

"Maybe, I can't predict her actions so we'll play it safe for now," said Mako.

"Yessir," replied Crash.

"Sir, we've found the woman. Where are we going now?" Kael inquired through helmet comm.

"We follow her," answered Mako.

"We just let her go. She could be miles away. Plus, we just wasted time standing here talking, why follow her now?" exclaimed Crash throwing his hands in the air.

"We needed her to trust that we weren't an immediate threat. Now we become one. I know she didn't leave. She went home. Since she believes this to be her turf, she feels secure enough not to run away. Now, move it," Mako ordered.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

After Rinka had left she had not headed back to Vire's cave like Mako had predicted. Instead she had taken a small detour and was wading through grass as she headed towards an old abandoned mine. She figure the clones would follow her after some time. It was quite predictable of them and not a smart move. Figuring they could track her with their sensors, she had taken this route to draw them into the most hazardous place the real Vire had mentioned. The mine was like any other, and it was filled with collapsing walls, falling beams, cliffs, holes, and poisonous gasses that leaked frequently. Spider like beasts climbed the ragged walls as she too scaled it's rugged surface and perched on a sturdy beam. She tuned her audio for footsteps and set her sensors to pick up heat signatures. Clicking the safety off on her spare pistol, she waited like a Nexu ready to pounce.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

After finding Vire's cave empty, Mako resorted to plan B, which was to track her bio sign.

"You know this could be a trap, like everything else," Crash mentioned.

"Any of this could be a trap, and I'm sure it all is one big elaborate trap," Mako answered.

Well, at least we know what we're walking into now,

Crash noted to himself. He knew that Mako was taking utmost precautions but anything could happen. Crash, of all people, knew that well.

"Sir, if its a trap, why are we walking into it?" Kael asked as though he didn't know.

"We plan to make it our trap, for her."

Crash heard Mako's words and knew he was right. Mako had no intentions of getting them caught. He was planning to catch. Kael fell silent as they followed Mako through a sea of grass that led seemingly nowhere. The grass ended almost as quickly as it had began though and revealed a dark ominous cave mouth. Mako noted the bits of repulsor track and realized it was a mine, an abandoned one. Even so he walked in. There was no fear in his step, and he led boldly and bravely avoiding the hazards most would have fallen prey to. Crash and Kael followed closely behind him, blasters prepped. Awake and alert, all three sensed they were nearing the belly of the beast when Mako raised his fist in a halt signal. No one moved. The only sounds were an eerie howl that sounded like a dying Reek. That's when Mako saw the brown mist floating at his feet.

Gas, he noted. Most likely toxic and deadly. Thankfully no one had removed their helmets, and they were safe for the moment. Movement in the rafters caught his eye as a small, dart-like animal flew past them screaming into the still air. Gur'ran they were called. They had originated in mines, feeding off plasma gas and other toxic gasses. They were harmless, but they had piercing screams that even audio mufflers couldn't shut out. This one seemed to be alone and Mako didn't see anymore come racing out. Gur'ran also fled at any note of danger or disturbance, meaning whatever trap Vire had for them was close. Stepping to the right to avoid a crumbled shaft Mako suddenly jerked his head upward and looked at the rafters above him. Pebbles were tumbling down rapidly, and a small rock bounced off one of his shoulder plates. Whirling around he shouted for them to move, just before the tunnel came down behind them. Tripping over a cracked beam, Kael fell behind and was quickly separated from the others. He staggered to his feet and tried to lunge after them but was blocked by boulders that rained down in front of him. Falling again and reaching out to catch himself Kael felt sharp pains as his arms took the full brunt of his fall. Hearing one more loud crack, he rolled to the side just as a huge rock smashed into the ground where he had been. However, he didn't move fast enough. His right arm became pinned under the boulder as more rocks fell behind him, forming a barrier. Sharp pains ran up his smashed arm and assaulted his nerves. Willing it to stop, he lay there, cut off and feeling completely alone.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Mako turned around as the rocks stopped cascading down, and he saw Crash standing there. Kael was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is rookie Kael?" he asked, surprised and out of breath.

"He was right behind--," Crash began to say and stopped, he took a glance behind him. "He's gone."

"Kael must have fallen behind and gotten trapped behind the rocks," Mako concluded.

"Or under them," Crash pointed out solemnly.

"We have to get him out. Does your helmet show bio signs? My scanners are on the fritz," Mako continued.

"No my scanners are all scrambled too."

"So we can't confirm he's alive using our helmets, but we can look for him."

"Yessir."

Mako surveyed the mess. The smaller rocks were still tumbling down from the top of the pile and some medium sized rocks were piled in the middle.

"We start at the top and work to the middle," Mako ordered. "Questions?"

"No, Sir," Crash answered. He climbed up to the upper parts of the blockade and tested rocks with his hands, seeing if they were loose or not. The loose ones he threw down to Mako and began clearing away some of the huge pile between them and Kael.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Kael lay on the ground trying to push the boulder off his arm, which he couldn't feel anymore. However, his attempts were in vain, and he ended up laying there hoping Mako and Crash were looking for him. As he stared into the darkness, Kael saw a thin, black form drop from the rafters above. Fearing the worst he steeled himself for it and found it was Vire he was facing.

"Stuck?" she asked, seeming to glance at the rock pinning him down.

"Sort of," Kael answered. He saw that she was carrying a new pistol in her hand, this one equipped with a silencer.

"Too bad, I guess we'll have to stay here together," she said.

"Yeah," Kael answered weakly. He tensed as she raised the blaster in his direction. He was prepared for her to shoot him cleanly through the skull. He closed his eyes, bracing for the moment. That's when the rock pinning him down burst apart, throwing tiny pebbles through the air. Kael opened his eyes and found Vire had lowered the weapon and was extending a hand toward him.

"Thank you?" Kael answered warily, taking the offered assistance.

"Your welcome," Rinka said gruffly as she helped him up. Kael dusted himself off. Then looked down at his right arm which now hung helplessly at his side. He still couldn't feel anything with it and it didn't respond normally. It was useless at the moment. Rinka saw him examining it and decided to say something.

"Can you feel your arm?"

"No," Kael answered, still wary.

"The nerves are probably damaged, you'll need a medic to have a look though."

"Yeah, when we get back to the fleet," Kael mumbled in answer. She didn't seem to hear him but was now focused on the rock wall before them. He knew she too was looking for a way out.

Do Mako and Crash know I'm alive? Kael wondered, hopeful he wouldn't have to stay with Vire much longer. Now he too glanced at the barrier. Hoping his colleagues were still on the other side, and hadn't taken him for dead, he looked back at his unlikely rescuer.

Mako will kill me for this.

That was a fact he knew, but even so, this was their chance to know each other.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Just after they started moving rocks, Mako heard a blaster shot ring through the tunnel and then silence ensued once more. The barricade was too thick for him to hear Rinka, whom they still believed was Vire, and Kael talking, but the sound of the pistol was amplified by the structure of the cave. Crash heard it too and looked despairingly down at Mako, who returned the look with that of determination. Crash took that to heart and began moving faster, hope still kindling inside him. He had come to the conclusion that Vire, was also on the other side and that she may have shot Kael but that didn't mean all bets were off. Working faster he began vigorously yanking rocks out of the blockade before him, and Mako crawled up there beside the clone pilot to make things go even faster. Before they knew it they had cleared a womprat sized hole in the barricade. Crash peered through and saw bits of rock. Then he saw Kael standing opposite Rinka, still known to him as Vire, Kael's right arm hung useless at his side. Crash saw that Rinka had another pistol, but it was holstered on her hip. She seemed to be having a conversation with Kael, who was comfortably holding one with her. Pushing yet another boulder aside Crash opened the hole wider.

"Kael, get up here!" he heard Mako shout. Kael spun around like a surprised Reek. Seeing his two comrades he nodded and turned to clamber up the other side of the rock wall. Crash reached down to haul the rookie out when he saw Rinka, standing there, arms crossed as she stared up at him. Her menacing helmet making him wonder what was going through her mind.

"Let her up, she won't hurt us for now," Kael reassured him. Crash felt doubtful of that fact but help out a hand to her anyways. Rinka climbed up and clasped it firmly, letting him pull her through. Then without a word she jumped down and dashed out of the tunnel.

Moments after Vire left, Mako turned to Kael and dipped his head pointedly at Kael's wounded arm. Kael lifted it a bit as he regained minimal feeling and control in his shoulder. After inspecting it thoroughly, Mako announced that it was fractured all the way up to the shoulder and the nerve damage ran just short of Kael shoulder. Crash then used his medpack supplies to make a sling for Kael's arm until they could find a medic somewhere. Then Mako started talking about the incident.

"You could have been killed! What were you thinking just staying there with her," he reprimanded Kael coldly.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I was pinned down until she blasted the rock to pieces. Honestly I thought I was dead when she raised that blaster. After that, I found she has no intentions to hurt us, the rock fall truly wasn't her fault is what she told me," Kael defended.

"And you believed her. Kael, that woman's a bounty hunter, lowest scum on the lake. If she told you that, I would ignore it. She's only trying to earn misplaced trust. Believe me, I know," Mako answered darkly.

"Yessir," Kael replied softly, looking at his feet. He shouldn't have tried to make the sergeant listen, it was a waste of time. Mako just didn't see the truth at the moment. Why, Kael didn't know.

"Now that we have that settled, out of the cave, both of you," Mako ordered. Kael nodded and obediently followed Crash out with Mako trailing behind them.

As they broke into the open air, Kael noticed that some feeling had returned to the top of his arm, enough for it to hurt when he jostled it. Trying to keep it as still as possible, he clenched his teeth when it did get jerked around some. Crash glanced behind him, and even though Kael couldn't see his face behind the helmet, he knew Crash was probably looking at his arm. He didn't mind. At least it was still there.

"When we get back, if we get back, you might want to let Slicer have a look at it," Crash commented, meaning Kael's arm.

"Slicer?" Kael asked nervously.

"Don't let the name fool you, he's the best medic that ever lived. The name's just a joke," Mako reassured him cutting into the conversation, his tone less harsh now.

"Yessir," Kael answered, not sure what else to say. With that Mako jogged to the front and confronted Kael and Crash.

"I'm not going to drag you two after me on anymore chases after her, we are going back to the city so we can take a breather. Understood?" he ordered. Crash nodded, as did Kael. Mako turned without another word and motioned with his hand for them to move out.

Once they were back at the shelter, Kael sat heavily in a chair that was pulled away from the decaying wooden table. With his left arm he was holding his right and was rocking the chair gently with his heels.

"Glad to see you've made yourself at home," Crash said, leaning against a wall.

"Just trying to rest up. You never know what'll happen tomorrow," Kael explained.

"Funny," replied Crash and walked over to the area clearly designated for food.

"These people must've left in a hurry quite some time ago," he said and picked up a rusted warmer that still had some moldy mealpacks in it.

"I noticed. It almost makes a Separatist attack plausible. Except for the fact that there are no signs of a fight or droids enslaving people," answered Mako, who was leaning on the door post with his arms crossed.

"Maybe there was an epidemic spreading, and people ran for the hills," said Kael, shooing some vermin out from under the table with his feet.

"If so, its gone now," Mako pointed out. "Hopefully."

Crash came and sat on a bench opposite Kael, removing his helmet. There wasn't much difference in the faces, except that Crash had a scar running across his nose and his hair was longer than Kael's perfect crew cut. Mako also removed his helmet and held it at his side. His hair was cut in the double stripes that many clones wore as a memorial to their fallen brothers. He had a faint scar that ran just above his left eye. Kael however, was still unscarred with the exception his unfortunate injury in the rock fall.

"Well, it's nice to know someone's face around here," joked Crash and they both gave him a serious look. Mako rolled his eyes.

"As if there was any different face to look at," he countered.

"Kael, you said earlier that Vire was the one who blasted that rock to pieces and that she made no attempt on your life," Crash said changing the subject.

"Yes, she made no hostile moves after she got my arm free. Honestly, she doesn't seem to be as menacing as we thought," answered Kael, hopeful to get a positive answer from Mako.

"And do you know what goes on in her head? For all we know she's a Seppie spy," Mako stated harshly.

Kael nodded and replied, "I understand, Sir. I just think we should give her a chance."

"A chance at what, shooting us? I think not."

Kael didn't know why he kept arguing, but before he knew it he was saying, "No, Sir, a chance at working for us. She made it clear she has no current employer. The only way we can keep tabs on her is by hiring her ourselves."

Mako frowned before answering sharply, "Its a laser-brained plan."

Kael was shocked, he thought Mako would consider more options, be more open minded. Clearly he wasn't.

"What did a bounty hunter ever do to you?" Kael retorted loudly before he could even think about it.

"Just so we're clear on it, they tricked me, double- crossed me, and got Rigger killed. I won't hire another one just to be let down and betrayed."

Crash jumped in before Kael could answer.

"Mako, he doesn't know that story. He's just a rookie."

"Right, well maybe he shouldn't know the story."

"Be rational, he deserves to know every bit of it," Crash told him plainly.

An annoyed look crossed Mako's face. "Fine."

Kael tried to give no clues that he was curious, but he wanted to know why Mako hated bounty hunters and he couldn't deny it.

"Is it a long story?" Kael finally asked.

"No," Crash answered.

Mako waited one more moment then began to talk in a more serious tone, "Kael, I've only encountered two or three bounty hunters in my life and most are not terrible people, they just live outside the law. The reason I have lost any sliver of trust I might have had for their kind was after one specific bounty hunter who assisted me and my squad on a mission. That bounty hunter is the reason you are being recruited for Disaster Squad now. Her name was Rinka Brun and she was to sneak us into a guild hideout. That was when Rigger was still on the squad. The Republic trusted our lives to Brun as long as the credits lasted, but as it turned out someone else had more credits. Some unknown party in the guild had paid her to reveal us, and she did. It was discrete, so we didn't know until blasters were drawn. Rigger was the first, and only, to go down in that fight, but many of the squad came back with wounds and scars. After that I found that I cannot trust anyone low enough to call themselves a bounty hunter, and Vire's actions remind me of Brun, so I have a particular dislike of her. Prove to me she's honest enough, and I'll hire her. Otherwise, she is the enemy."

Kael sat there for a moment, completely silent. He had never thought he was replacing someone on the squad, and he felt bad he'd never known the guy. However, now that he knew where his sergeant was coming from, he understood the hard feelings.

"I read you, Sir," he finally answered. Mako nodded and walked over to sit next to Crash.

"Practically everyone in the 514th knows the story, even the pilots. I should have explained earlier," Mako apologized.

"No need, Sir. I shouldn't have questioned command," Kael answered sheepishly.

"Your right, you shouldn't have. Either way, I accept your idea to hire her, but at the first sign that things are going wrong, I pull the shots. Understood?"

"Sir, yes Sir," Crash and Kael said in unison. Mako stopped frowning and nodded.

"Then tomorrow we find ourselves a bounty hunter."


	6. 5

The next morning Mako was the first one up. He stretched his legs by walking around outside. Around him the air was cool and dry making the wind sting his face as he trekked around the city. The first sun was just beginning to rise and was soon to be followed by the other two. After covering almost the entire city's perimeter, he began to notice a pattern. The outer houses were in good shape, but the further in you went the more broken down the houses became. This didn't really lead him to any conclusion as to what had happened, but he was interested all the same. In fact he saw it had nothing to do with the quick departure of this race. He now saw that he was again nearing the shelter and decided to wake Kael and Crash up.

Inside the room was still dead quiet with both men asleep on the floor. Kael had rolled onto his back, the injured arm held out to the side and away from his body, the sling having been disposed of earlier the night before. Crash was still sleeping on his stomach with one arm curled around his head. Mako nudged Kael in the side with his foot. The younger man's eyes shot open, and he instantly glanced up before recognizing Mako. With that he stood at attention as Mako woke Crash, who was a bit more slow to the pitch. He rolled over onto his back, blinking in the light coming from the high windows.

Once both troopers were up and awaiting orders, Mako said, "At ease men."

Kael and Crash relaxed before either one said anything.

"Sir, are we going to search out Calso today?" Kael asked.

"No, today we are going in search of Vire. You mentioned yesterday that we should hire her. So we will."

"Yessir," replied Kael, feeling slightly pleased Mako was trying this. Crash said nothing in the conversation, but he did pick up his helmet which was resting next to Kael's and Mako's, under the bench. He put it on then removed it tapping the top of it a bit and then putting it back on. Mako turned his attention toward the pilot.

"Trouble with your systems?"

"No, Sir, just a bit slow," Crash answered after turning the audio on. Mako nodded and took his helmet from under the bench, and then he picked up Kael's "bucket", as clone helmet were nicknamed" and tossed it to the rookie. Kael barely caught the helmet with his left hand and turned it so he could view the inside without putting it on.

"Nothing, I guess it's just going to stay dead," Kael said dejectedly.

"So it seems," Mako answered. With that he motioned for them to move out. "Let's go find us our bounty hunter."

"So you weren't in the Battle of Geonosis?" asked Kael in surprise as they hiked uphill following the invisible path that ran past all Vire's traps and that led to her shelter.

"No, the 514th was not chosen to assist the Jedi on Geonosis. However we have served under General Reel ever since General Lee went rogue," said Mako over his helmet comm. All three had audio muted and were chatting over a private link so that no eavesdroppers could hear their conversation.

"So what was your first battle?"

"The defense of Ress, a world that had no sentient species or creatures on it. It is only Republican controlled because it's trees produce the largest amounts for the base ingredient in plastiod. When the Seppies tried to burn the place with an airstrike we had to intervene," Mako answered.

"If the tinnies used an airstrike then you couldn't have been on the planet," Kael replied wincing in pain and wishing he had left that sling on instead letting his injured arm be slack at his side.

"We countered with our own airstrike," said Crash cutting in.

"That's where Crash earned his marks, in the Defense of Ress," Mako continued.

"And I officially became known as the ace pilot of the squadron; no one can match my skill. That's also why I've been tasked to cart you guys around," Crash boasted.

"So you guys never saw any ground action," Kael stated.

"No, the first battle was on Nazarri, an ice planet that supplies 83% of our plasma supply. We took it from those tinnie boys in a ground offense," Mako answered and then stopped as a vornskr dashed out in front of him, running like a rat from danger. "Hold up, I have the feeling trouble is ahead," Mako warned.

Kael and Crash raised their deeces and trained them on the trees waiting for what came next. Nothing ever came, only the one lone vornskr. Now proceeding with more caution, the earlier conversation ceased and all three were silent. Mako waved them forward but kept one pistol ready, just in case.

"Your audio pickup still working, Kael?" he asked. Kael took a moment to check it before answering.

"Yessir," he said.

"Good, increase to medium setting," ordered Mako. "You too, Crash."

"Yessir," said Crash as he turned his up as well and listened intently for anything.

"What are we listening for, Sir," inquired Kael.

"Boots. Soft, nerf-hide boots on grass. Do your best," Mako explained.

"For Vire?" asked Kael again to confirm his suspicions.

"Yes, I want to know she's here before she knows we're here," Mako said. Kael nodded. Crash looked up.

"Nothing as of yet, Sir," said Crash.

"Just tell me if you do hear something," Mako replied. Kael was silent. Inside his helmet, the only things he could hear were his own breathing and the sounds of wind in the trees. The silence in his helmet made him feel closed in. As a clone he was trained against claustrophobia, but he was partial to open spaces nonetheless. Kael wondered what Mako and Crash were hearing, but his audio only allowed him to hear what his own helmet picked up. Just when he was starting to lose focus and go off into his own mind, Kael heard a loud crunching sound to his left.

"Sir!" he shouted.

"What rookie?"

"Vire, to your left," Kael answered, quieter this time.

"Good job, Kael," Mako praised before raising his pistol and watching the tree line to his left.

"You sure it's her shinie?" Crash questioned.

"You're about to find out, Crash," Mako cut in. "Yessir," Crash replied copying Mako's stance. At that very moment Rinka, as Vire, stepped into view. She looked as calm and cool as ever and there wasn't a hint of surprise in her movements. Mako lowered his blaster some as a friendly gesture but didn't holster it.

"Am I in trouble? Or did you get lost?" asked Rinka sweetly. Mako gritted his teeth. This woman reminded him of Brun more and more.

"No, we needed to talk with you," he said.

"Business, or my arrest?" the one he knew as Vire replied.

"Business, we want to hire you," Mako stated plainly. She took a moment to consider then quickly answered, "I'm fine with it under two conditions: I don't get shot, and you let me go free when this is over," she demanded crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine," Mako replied holstering his blaster. He was still wary of her but hoped she wouldn't shoot him right away; that might leave a bad impression.

"Oh, and one other thing, soldier boy," Rinka continued. She motioned for him to step forward. Cautiously Mako moved toward her. She waved her hand for him to come even closer. Unsure Mako stayed where he was.

"You can trust me. I just need to ask you a question," said Rinka tightly.

"Whatever you need to say can be said in front of my men," Mako told her.

"This can't, remove your helmet and get over here," she demanded sharply.

Warily Mako took off his helmet and cautiously walked toward her. He figured that if they wanted to get on this woman's good side they would have to make her believe they could be trusted. AS Mako neared, Vire leaned in close and began to whisper to him.

"Want to know something about Commander Hotshot?"

Before Mako could ask her to repeat, for he hadn't heard clearly, he felt dizzy, and his breathing quickened.

"Stay where you are," she whispered menacingly, and Mako looked down to see a small hold out blaster pointed at his chest.

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Kael watched Mako step over there, wondering why Mako was suddenly trusting this woman. Then he waited a few seconds as Rinka leaned in to seemingly tell the sergeant something. All of a sudden, Kael and Crash saw Mako drop his helmet and he looked as though he was about to collapse. Rinka was still standing close and had made no move to help or support Mako. Out of instinct, both clones raised their blasters as Rinka spun around, one arm holding the sergeant, and the other holding a tiny holdout blaster to the sergeant's neck.

"Drop your weapons, both of you," she commanded. Kael began to set his down, for fear Rinka would shoot Mako. Crash kept his trained on her.

"Now!" she barked. Crash lowered his to the ground. Rinka relaxed some and took a moment to glance around, checking to make sure there were no other witnesses. In the split second it took Rinka to turn her head, Kael, using his left arm, snatched his blaster from the ground and shot her in the head. She fell away from Mako, who stumbled forward before Crash caught him. Kael lowered the smoking blaster, strode forward and dropped to one knee next to the woman he had shot. The shot wasn't a clean one and had missed his mark by about three inches, going through the back of her head instead her temple, but either way she was dead.

"Take off her helmet. We need to know her identity," rasped Mako as Crash supported him, he wanted to know who she was and if it was connected to her knowledge of Commander Hotshot, but he didn't mention it.

"Don't we already know it, Sir? She said her name is Vire," said Kael.

"It could be an alias. Take off her helmet," Mako ordered.

"Yessir," Kael replied. He decided it was best not to argue for now. Laying aside the blaster, Kael pulled off the bounty hunter woman's helmet and laid it aside on the grass. Crash helped Mako forward so he could see who it was. With long, tangled, black hair now spread out on the grass and tan skin shaded by the tree cover, Mako identified her in a moment.

"Brun," he whispered. "Who else would go to great lengths to kill me, or anyone at that?"

Crash stared down at the dead woman.

"So she went commonly under the name of Vire?" he questioned.

Mako stopped to catch his breath then answered, "No, it must be a new alias. She was a well known identity thief and bounty hunter who is wanted on every Republic planet that hasw a security force. It wouldn't surprise me if the name Vire is an alias to throw us off her track," he managed to get out before stopping.

"What did she do to you?" Kael inquired changing the subject quickly.

"Low grade toxic knockout drug. TKD more commonly. If used at the right dosage it can knock out a person and poison their lungs. She must have only given me half or less of a dose. That's why I'm awake and breathing," Mako explained as he clutched Crash's shoulder harder, and his breathing quickened again. "Don't worry, it'll wear off in a few hours. However, had she given me a full dose and I'd be dead in 30 minutes."

"We'd better get you back to the shelter then," Crash concluded.

"Too far, Vire's shelter is closer. Take me there," Mako ordered pointing in the general direction of it.

"Yessir," Kael and Crash answered in unison. Kael got on the other side of Mako to help Crash support him as they began to hike towards the cave.

After reaching their desired destination, the clones cleared an area about ten meters back from the mouth of the cave. Kael helped Crash lay Mako down on the rock floor. Shoving some boxes back Crash sat down on a crate to watch over Mako while Kael began to go through Vire's stuff. Kael picked up one of the blasters thrown on the floor. Tossing it from one hand to another he found it was lighter than his own. Interested he pulled the power pack out and looked into it, then checked the others.

"Crash, all these blasters are empty," he shouted after inspecting a few more.

"So?" asked Crash.

"What bounty hunter in their right mind would keep empty blasters?" Kael continued, picking up the largest one and running his hand over the barrel.

"Good point, but still, she could have been keeping them to refill or melt down later," Crash said. Kael put the blaster down and was getting up when he heard a muffled beeping coming from the midst of the blasters. He shoved one or two aside with his foot but saw nothing. Crash had apparently heard the sound as well.

"Kael, what in the universe is that noise?" he inquired.

"Don't know but it sounds like a detonator. However I can't find anything."

"Check the blasters," Crash warned urgently. Kael's eyes turned to the large blaster he had been holding. The beeping was speeding up. Deciding he could take no chances, Kael snatched it up and threw the blaster outside watching as it landed in the grass. The noise ceased and he checked the remaining blasters just in case.

"Safety measures I'm sure. Probably why all the blasters were empty," Crash's voice cut through the stillness and Kael nodded.

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Still perched in the trees, the three commandos watched as Kael shot Brun and the clones escaped with Mako to Vire's shelter. They had followed the clones as far as the trees outside the cave. Then A-5 spoke quietly, his gravelly voice low and inaudible to the human ear.

"We must execute a tactical strike. A-3, A-10 choose your targets."

The other two made no acknowledgement, having received the orders electronically, but swung silently to the ground. They stalked through the grass keeping their brown bodies close to the ground, and without a noise they crept up on their unknowing enemy.

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As the clones waited, Kael patrolled the area, watching for signs of Separatists. He had his blaster held in his left hand and Crash's clipped to his belt. Even without HUD scanners to detect droids for him he kept a sharp eye on the fields around the place. All seemed quiet. He noticed the sun setting and ducked inside a moment.

"How's the sergeant feeling?" he asked tentatively.

"He's awake and breathing easier. I think its almost worn off," Crash answered from the back.

"Quit talking like I'm not here. Kael get inside, after dark is no time to be outside," Mako ordered, still sounding out of breath yet the strong tone coming back into his voice.

"Yessir."

Kael strode to the back and found Mako sitting against the boxes that had been moved back. Crash was still perched on a crate and had his helmet on the floor beside him. Mako had not put his back on either, and he beckoned for Kael to sit.

"Sleep, that's what you two need," he commanded them.

"You need someone to watch for attacks. You're not healed yet," Crash argued.

"You're not my medic, Crash. I will be fine. Now get some rest," Mako ordered.

"Even you're starting to sound like General Reel now," Crash muttered as he moved to the floor and leaned against the crate.

"Shut up, Crash," said Mako softly. Kael removed his helmet and nodded to Mako before closing his eyes and allowing his tired mind to rest.

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The commandos kept watching the clones until the three men fell asleep. Then they moved out of hearing range and reported to Grievous.

"Did you collect the necessary information?" Grievous asked in between hacking and coughing as his image appeared above the portable transmitter.

"Yes, general. We have confirmed that they are the clones whom we shot down. One is injured and favoring his right arm, and the leader was also injured by Brun. The other seems unharmed. Also, Rinka Brun is dead, killed by the clones," the lead commando said.

"Sad. Now, bring one of the clones to me. Dispose of the rest," said Grievous coldly. A-5 nodded slowly and the image disappeared.

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The next morning Mako was up first like usual, and he quickly woke up Crash and Kael.

"You two plan to sleep all day?" asked Mako.

"No, Sir," said Kael sleepily as he opened his eyes. His vision blurred a moment and then he saw Mako sitting in front of him looking as though the day before had never happened.

"You look better," commented Crash.

"Not a sign of yesterdays ordeal," said Kael.

"I told you it would wear off," Mako reminded them as he stood up.

"Yes you did, Sir," said Kael. He stretched his left arm above his head before getting to his feet. He could feel cramps in his legs and made a note never to sleep sitting up again. To his left Crash was already in motion reloading blasters and checking helmets.

"Catch," Crash called tossing Kael's helmet to him and then throwing the other helmet to Mako.

"Surrender," said a voice from behind them.

"Who in the galaxy?" muttered Crash as all three of them whipped around.

"Droids?" said Kael his tone confused.

"Surrender now," growled the gravely voice of a commando droid.

"No," he mumbled and raised his weapon. Mako didn't look so confused. Or even surprised. Crash had his weapon ready like Kael and was keeping a hawk-eye on the droids.

"Hold your ground," Mako ordered.

The commando's opened fire. Diving behind cover Kael snapped his blaster into position with his left hand and squeezed off a shot or two, both of them missing before the droids came charging for them. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Crash wrangling one of the droids as they were pushed back into the darker parts of the cave. A-5 took that moment to pounce on Kael, driving him to the ground and knocking his deece aside. Kael struggled to throw the metal mass off him but in vain. The commando knocked his helmet off, and Kael could do nothing but await the death that would surely be bestowed on him shortly. The droid raised one arm and Kael squeezed his eyes shut. Then he opened them after a second or two to see why the droid had hesitated. That was when the backend of an E-11 blaster smashed into his jaw, making the droid and the cave dissolve into blackness.

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A-5 picked up the clone, hefting the white armored body over his shoulder, and sent a signal code to the other two commandos who were still fighting the remaining clones.

"Dispose of those two and regroup. I have the one they call Kael."

He then bounded outside and left the other two to finish the job.

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A-3 and A-10 received the message clearly. A-3, who was engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with Crash, used a durasteel foot to shove Crash back against the wall before picking the clone pilot up by the throat. A-10 was still fighting with Mako without success and was struggling to find an opening in the clone's defense. He saw A-3 strangling Crash, then Mako was launched backwards before angling a roundhouse kick at the droid's chest. Before A-10 could recover Mako blasted the droid in the face and turned to help Crash. By that time however, the pilot was almost unconscious in the other commando's vise-like grip. Mako fired at the wall twice to get the droid's attention, and as it whirled around he blasted the shoulder joint. The arm that had been holding Crash inches from the floor clattered to the ground. As it dislocated from the joint, Crash threw it off and scrambled to his feet. He stood, and his night vision filter blinked out as he was thrown into darkness. The only light was Mako firing at the droid. Involuntarily Crash stepped back and tripped over the droid arm falling even farther into the blackness. Mako continued to shoot at the droid since his own helmet's night vision was still functioning. The commando coming at him had no blaster but had tough armor, and Mako's shots bounced off it leaving only scorch marks. Retreating quickly into the blackness trying to find Crash, Mako saw the droid hurl something at him just before a concussion grenade bounced across the floor to rest at his feet. Whipping around Mako could barely see Crash getting up. He launched himself at the pilot just before the grenade detonated throwing them both crashing into the boxes piled up at the back of the cave.

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After the detonator exploded the droid surveyed the mess and walked back toward the spot where Mako and Crash had been thrown. It noted the smoking bodies and concluded its mission done. A-10 was beyond repair and A-5 was waiting with the prisoner outside. With that conclusion A-3 stalked outside to where A-5 was crouching low hidden by the orange grasses. A-5 stood and A-3 reported that the job was done before both headed back to the Separatist camp with their prize.

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Mako slowly opened his eyes and found only darkness meeting them. He realized he was still in the cave, and he was alive. Waiting one moment, Mako began to extract himself from the avalanche of boxes that had collapsed around him.

"Crash, Kael?" he called into the stillness as he willed his bruised body to move.

"Right here, Sir," Crash's weary voice came from beside him.

"Kael?" Mako asked.

"Haven't seen him since the fight began, Sir," Crash answered and then groaned as he too began to pull himself out of the boxes spilt all over the floor.

"He might be dead or dying. We need to get up and look around," Mako ordered feeling a sudden concern for the new trooper.

"Don't worry, Sir, if he were dead I would have tripped over his body earlier," Crash joked.

Mako silenced him with a sharp reprimand, "There's no time for humor Crash. We have to find that rookie."

Solemn again, Crash nodded and began digging around for his helmet. Mako had already found his and put it back on. Testing to make sure his night vision and other systems were online, he looked around. Crash kept feeling around and was eventually rewarded with finding his own bucket, as the clone helmets were nicknamed. Immediately he pulled it on and spun around to see Mako's faint silhouette in the darkness. His eye's were adjusting but he still couldn't make out more than dark shapes around him. Mako wasn't handicapped by this problem, seeing as his systems were functioning correctly. He scanned the area for Kael's biosign, but his close range pickup couldn't find the man.

"Crash, get up here," he ordered softly.

"Coming, Sir," Crash replied as he strode forward as best he could without tripping. He put out one hand and felt the cave wall was about two feet from his right side. Mako suddenly started forward, and Crash followed him to find that the sergeant had located Kael's helmet where it lay on the stony ground. Crash assumed it's HUD display was on the fritz from the way the light inside kept blinking randomly. The damaged helmet let a weak beam flash out and illuminate the floor every few seconds in a syncopated pattern. Mako picked up the disoriented helmet and turned it around noting the clear dent in the right side. Crash looked around to see if there was a sign of the trooper but found none.

"I think he's been kidnapped," Crash muttered half to himself.

"Evidence points strongly in that direction," Mako agreed clipping Kael's helmet to his belt.

"Useless scrap piles must have taken him," Crash concluded sourly.

"We'd better get around to finding him. That Seppie camp can't be too far if those droids were able to jump us that quick," ordered Mako, extending his scan to look for disfigurements in the landscape. The map picked up three along with Vire's traps. One close to the abandoned city and one farther east in a place last recorded as a canyon.

"I've got three possibilities. One is close, the other two a bit farther away."

Crash considered the choices then answered saying, "You did say those droids had to be close."

"Agreed, to the canyon it is," Mako commanded in agreement to Crash's statement as he stepped forward and into a more brightly lit area of the cave. He took one last look around before leading Crash out to find Kael.


	7. 6

The commando droids reached the ship where General Grievous was twenty minutes later. A-5 was still carrying Kael, who had not regained consciousness. "General, we have the clone," A-5 reported as Grievous confronted them in front of the temporary prison block.

"Throw him in with that bounty hunter woman. I will interrogate both later," said Grievous. "You are dismissed," he added and the commando droids left to complete the command.

With an arrogant walk, Grievous approached Ktar, who was still awaiting news from Brun. Ktar had been ordered not to continue his previous mission until Brun had set the stage and gained the trust of the clones. Reaching him, Grievous stared down at the alien. He tried to suppress the revolting feeling that he got whenever having to work with a bounty hunter or some other low life criminal.

"I have a task for you," he told Ktar.

"Yes, General?" asked Ktar with an air of boredom. "After I interrogate the prisoner, I want you to search through Vire's belongings. The other clones will provide no trouble. I have been informed that they were removed, from the situation," Grievous ordered.

"Ah, so you want me to confirm whether or not she has evidence the Count can use?" Mastro stated, studying the power cables running across the back of his glove.

"Yes," Grievous said in deceit. He had no real reason for Ktar to carry out the order other than he wanted the scum away from the camp.

"Fine," agreed Ktar. Grievous did not reply immediately but rubbed his metal-clawed hands in pleasure as he watched Ktar leave and prepare to go. He then saw that the droids had returned and for the first time noticed that their number had been reduced to two.

"What happened to A-10?" he demanded sharply.

"He was blasted by one of the clones and deemed unfit to carry on," said the commando, meaning the droid had been destroyed. Grievous waved them on and watched them return to work.

"The Count will be most pleased to hear of my success," he muttered, and if he had a mouth it would have been twisted into the most evil smile ever.

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Mako and Crash were nowhere near the Separatist camp at the time and were currently standing on an outlook high above the canyon, trying to plot a course through it twists and turn. Mako was consulting his map, and Crash was mapping a route in his head while staring at the oddly green- colored canyon.

"I can't seem to find a route that wouldn't take us an hour to accomplish," Crash said dejected at his vain attempts.

"I've got one. We need to rappel down this cliff first, then I want you to follow me," Mako advised.

"Sir, yes Sir," said Crash, trying not to let the doubt into his voice.

"Get the cables ready," ordered Mako, and he handed his blaster and cable to Crash who hooked the detachable cables launchers to the end of both blasters then pulled a length of cable out from each, securing it on some rocks.

"Good to go, Sir," he said and handed Mako's deece back to him. On that note, both set the reels to automatic and began descending the rock wall.

When Crash's feet touched the canyon floor, he found it to be one of the most interesting landscapes he had ever seen. It was a huge marsh, which explained the green look. Moss hung from canyon walls while swampy grasses felt springy and soft underfoot. Mako also stopped a moment and hesitated when he reached the bottom of the canyon wall. After the shocking discovery, both detached their cables and left them hanging there as Mako resumed the lead and began using his map to navigate both of them through the maze of the canyon. Crash gazed around in wonderment as to how the place could have such an interesting environment. The marsh didn't smell great, but the vibrant green that covered the place was stunning to the eyes. As they trekked along, Crash wondered if the Separatist camp was really here or if they had followed a false trail. Who would know? Only upon reaching the coordinates on Mako's map could they be sure. Until then all they could do was walk in hopes of reaching it.

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In the place the clones were trying to reach, their third comrade had been unceremoniously dumped onto the white floor of a prison cell next to Vire, the real one. When the droids had dropped off her new prison mate, Vire looked up in surprise from where she had been sitting, then stood as the droid walked off, the metal bars clanging as they slammed shut again. She had known the clones were on the planet but had not known the Separatists knew about them. She now noted how one of the clones arms fell at a weird angle.

Must be broken.

Then she reached out, even though her hands were manacled, and took the thermal detonator off his belt and any other weapons the droids had missed, replacing her own confiscated weapons with them. She now used one foot to roll him onto his back before attempting to wake her new roommate up.

"Hey!" she shouted at him. When he didn't wake up the first time, she kicked him in the side and he suddenly grunted in slight pain.

"Name," she demanded as the clone blinked open his eyes adjusting to the blinding white.

"Kael," he muttered sounding unsure and a bit woozy. "You know Crash?" inquired Vire harshly.

"Yeah, wait, who are you?" Kael asked rolling over to face her and then gritting his teeth as pain shot up his right arm.

"At the moment, your prison mate. Any other time, your worst nightmare," Vire stated, seeing him wince at the pain of moving.

"Nice."

"So you're a funny one. I didn't know clones had a sense of humor," Vire commented a bit more kindly.

Kael didn't reply but struggled into a sitting position before seeming to notice he too had his hands in binders, the sling having been lost in the scuffle.

"Don't pull on them, they're shock cuffs," warned Vire. Kael looked up and all of a sudden a shocked look crossed his face.

"You, I--," he began to say wondering how the woman he had shot earlier had suddenly come back to life, only this one with a different helmet.

"What?" questioned Vire cautiously to see why the clone was reacting so strongly to seeing her.

"I thought you were dead, I shot you in the head back when you tried to abduct Sergeant Mako," Kael explained dumbfounded. Now it was Vire's turn to be shocked.

"I never tried to abduct anyone. I've been here for at least two days."

"How? There can't be two of you."

"I think someone might have impersonated me to get the drop on you and whoever you're Sergeant Mako is," concluded Vire aloud, wondering why Vire was helping the clone and not blasting him before getting out herself. Kael hadn't wondered why she was helping him but instead was considering her theory. It seemed plausible seeing as Mako had identified Brun as a master identity thief.

"Fine, we go with what you said, but if this turns out to be a lie I will blast you on the spot," he said sternly and leaned back on the wall behind him to observe her reaction.

"I can live with that."

"Can you live with a truce until we escape this camp?"

"Yes."

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Crash and Mako had just reached the other side of the wall that separated them and the Separatist camp.

"We need to distract those droids somehow so we can slip through their defenses," Mako told Crash.

"True, may I suggest that we plant one or two detonators on the canyon wall that is the entrance to the camp? If we blow a few hunks of rock out of the walls leading into the main entrance, maybe they will pay a bit of attention," Crash replied.

"Agreed, hand me your pack. It has the detonators in them," Mako ordered Crash. The pilot handed over the white plastiod backpack that he was wearing.

"Four or six?" Crash inquired of him.

"Four, we don't want to make it look as though the Republic fleet is here," explained Mako as he adjusted the pack so he could wear it comfortably.

"Copy that, Sir."

"Set them low," added Mako as they approached the entrance. Crash and Mako flattened themselves up against the mossy rock wall as they watched the droid rotations.

"Now."

Mako handed two detonators to Crash.

"Yessir."

Crash dashed out of hiding and slapped both detonators onto the opposing rock wall pressing the activation studs with the palm of his hand. To his left, Mako did the same. Then both scrambled away to a safe distance. As soon as they were clear, Mako produced a remote. Crash watched as Mako's thumb jammed down on the stud and the endless second passed between the pressing of the stud and the actual explosion. Then it ended and the loud noise of the detonation exploded in his ears, his helmet's sound dampers working to keep his eardrums from bursting from the sound until it died away. Peering around the corner, Mako and Crash confirmed that the action had the desired effect and battle droids were rushing towards the smoking debris. Mako smiled and Crash shared the moment of success, but only until they began to move again.

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After the commando guard that checked in hourly on the prisoners, left, Vire turned back to Kael.

"You have an escape plan?" asked Vire.

"No," Kael answered.

"Well, then I guess I'll have to be the brains here," Vire said unhappily.

"I will come up with something. I've just been a bit distracted trying not to provoke the commando droid that was watching us for the last half hour," he stated sharply.

"Fine," Vire retorted sourly. Kael sat there for a moment then got up and began pacing around the confined space. Within moments of getting up, he noticed something he hadn't seen before.

"Your lightsaber, where did it come from?" inquired Kael sharply, startling her.

"I stole it...I think," she answered, whispering the last two words in self-doubt.

"Fine, can you use it?" he asked warily deciding to ignore the fact it was stolen since it was possibly their ticket out. Standing back, Kael watched as Vire unclipped the lethal weapon from her belt and held it out in front of her. A yellow- orange blade materialized in front of her thrumming to life as she waved it gently from side to side.

"I can try," she replied reaching towards him. Kael instinctively stepped back.

"Don't worry I'm only going to cut your binders off," she reassured him pulling the blade back some.

"Fine," Kael replied and lifted his left arm, the right dangling. The arm's dead weight pulled down on the cuffs enough to leave a gap which Vire could cut through, without activating the shocking mechanism inside the cuffs. She carefully sliced through the middle without leaving a scratch on him. Once the binders fell off, Kael let his right arm fall slack as she cut her own binders off. Once her hands were free, Kael watched as she deftly cut a large ragged circle in the bars separating them from the outside of the cell. Using her newly freed hands, Vire removed the section and set it on the floor gently so as not to attract any attention. Upon seeing Vire finish, Kael stepped in front of her and held out his hand.

"The lightsaber, now," he demanded. Reluctantly Vire handed it over, and Kael clipped it his own belt. With that, he stepped out using the exit she created and Vire followed closely behind. It was at that very moment the ground was rocked by a small explosion.

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Right after escaping the prison block, Kael, and Vire, with newly regained weapons, stormed the droids outside. Both were surprised to find that all the battle droids were gathered around the debris from the small explosion.

"What in the universe did that!" Kael exclaimed.

"Who cares? It makes it easier to pick them off!" responded Vire, raising her blaster, which had been hidden from the droids, to send a whole clip of ammo into the midst of the droids. Kael didn't argue. Instead he used his left arm to grab the nearest droid, tearing its head off with the same hand then dropping it's scrapped body as he snatched up the blaster it had been holding. He began to fire upon the enemy as well, watching as droid after sand-colored droid fell. Slowly the droids figured out what was happening and turned to face their new attackers. When that happened, Vire and Kael took off running for another exit they had seen and noted.

That was the moment Grievous decided to appear.

"You're not going anywhere," he rumbled in a cold menacing voice as he ignited both lightsabers.

Vire whipped around angrily to face Kael.

"Lightsaber," she ordered harshly. Without thinking, Kael pulled the weapon out and handed it to her. She spun around to face Grievous, and ignited the yellow blade, taking a ready stance Kael had seen many sword fighters use.

"So, you're willing to challenge me in combat. Wrong move," growled Grievous. Kael, who was watching, swore that if Grievous had a mouth it would be twisted into the most vicious smile and showing evil looking sharp yellow-black teeth right now.

"I'm trusting you to watch my back, soldier boy," Vire shouted to Kael. Kael sighed to himself and rolled his eyes. He now understood why Mako couldn't stand the first Vire.

"I will," he muttered. Then Grievous launched himself at Vire and slashed down with both lightsabers, making gashes in the swamp mud on either side of Vire.

"Your aim is a bit off," Vire told Grievous, her voice almost cracking as she tried to fight her fear and face him.

"So the bounty hunter is going to correct me. Well, guess what, little lady? I don't make mistakes," Grievous told Vire. Vire didn't answer but slashed with her lightsaber aiming for his legs.

"Stay back, Kael," Vire warned as Grievous pushed the fight towards the rookie.

"So the bounty hunter will protect her puny friend. How sweet," Grievous said with a mocking tone.

"Only until our agreement expires," she retorted, grunting under the weight of Grievous's blows. Then all of a sudden, Vire pushed him back and, with a very uncoordinated pattern of blows and slashes, she tried to tip the scales. Grievous easily deflected her blows and attacked with his own combination. Only his was much more complicated and harder to track. Vire blocked each attack, although Kael could see she was having trouble. He saw Vire quickly jump as Grievous swung at her legs. When she landed, she jumped to the side as Grievous swung at her again, then Vire aimed a blow at his left arm which was open and vulnerable. Grievous growled as her lightsaber almost connected with his left arm, singeing it. He quickly split both arms in two and began spinning his now four lightsabers in rapid circles. Vire realized it would be impossible to attack with his lightsabers slashing the air like deadly blades and moving too fast for her to calculate. In her moment of hesitation, Grievous knocked Vire back with a clawed foot and was about to finish her when Kael grabbed her arm pulling her out of the way. With Vire in tow, Kael ducked past Grievous and fled for the exit.

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Mako and Crash were dashing around the corner when Kael and Vire ran into them. Vire's eyes went wide when she saw them, but she couldn't stop and ended up crashing into Mako throwing them both to the ground. Without an apology, she picked herself up and, in disgust, began to use her gloved hands to scrape off all the swamp muck she could. Mako got up himself, and without bothering to wipe off any of the mud and grass looked directly at Kael.

"Explain," he commanded, making a point to look at Vire.

Kael acknowledged the order and began saying, "She was in the prison block with me. I needed her help, so we made an agreement to help each other escape. That was all."

"No, explain her," Mako repeated.

"She is Vire, but she's the real one," Kael answered.

"The real one?"

"Rinka Brun, whom I shot yesterday, was apparently impersonating Vire. Impersonating this Vire, who was being held at the Separatist compound."

"Sounds plausible," Mako said although his tone suggested annoyance.

"I believe that, seeing as we escaped, I am now released from our agreement," Vire cut in.

"Yes under one condition," replied Kael.

"What," Vire asked in an annoyed and impatient tone. "We keep the lightsaber," Kael ordered, not trusting her with such a deadly weapon.

"I guess you can have it, here--," she began as she reached to pull it from her belt, secretly sliding it into her hollow arm gauntlet. Vire pulled her hand away and acted surprised as though she found it missing.

"It's gone. I must have dropped it," she said aloud.

"You were holding it when we ran out of there," Kael said suspiciously.

"Must have let go when you grabbed my hand in that death grip," Vire responded sourly.

"Fine, at least you don't have it," Kael consented. Vire smiled secretly behind her helmet.

"I'm going now," she said and turned. Mako watched her carefully as she walked off.

"More than one of her, it's my new worst nightmare," he said, after seeing her disappear around the corner.

"Agreed," Kael said darkly. With that, he turned to a different subject. "Sir, did you and Crash blow up that entrance?"

"Yes, it was intended to be a distraction so we could free you. Vire took care of that it seems," Mako answered. Noticing how unhappy his sergeant was about Vire's return, Kael dropped the subject of his kidnap.

"Alright, you two, let's clear the area before Grievous comes searching for you."

Kael nodded and followed Crash as they turned to leave the stagnant bog that the canyon rested on. At that moment, Mako remembered Kael's helmet clipped to his belt and removed it passing it back to the rookie.

"Thank you, Sir," Kael said pulling it back on.

Mako shrugged before saying, "Still isn't working." "So I noticed," Kael said.

"Maybe Deke can get it back online if we get back to The Nexu," Crash told him, referring to the Republic star cruiser that was the 514th's flagship.

"I think I'll just put in an order for a new one. This one's as useful as a bantha with no legs," Kael said as he watched Mako lead them around the fifteenth corner.

"One that's as shiny as you were when you joined us?" mocked Crash. Kael ignored the joke. Ahead of him Mako still hadn't said one word and was walking quickly, his gait slightly stiff.

"Still have your ascension cable?" he asked Kael.

"I'll check, Sir," answered Kael as he reached to his belt for the duracord. "It's gone, but I could have sworn it was there before the attack," he added pulling away his hand as he found the empty slot where it should have hung.

"Most likely it fell off during the attack," Mako replied his voice still harsh. Then added under his breath, "Or Vire took it,"

"Sir, did you descend a canyon wall to get down here?"

"Yes, it was the quickest way."

"Yessir."

"Any more questions rookie?" Mako asked sharply.

Kael shook his head and mumbled, "Negative, Sir."

There was not another word heard between the three.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Once they reached the wall that Mako and Crash had ascended, Mako agreed that Kael would go up first and then Mako and Crash would follow him. If there was any trouble waiting for them at the top Kael was to raise an alarm and take cover.

"Are you clear on that rookie?" Mako asked still not using Kael's name.

"Yessir," Kael said and reached up with his left arm to grip the cord dangling down. He planted both feet on the rock wall and then realized that without feeling or mobility in his right arm scaling the wall was an almost impossible task. With this in mind, he backed down and turned to face Mako who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sir," Kael stopped waiting for a reprimand. When none came he went on, "I don't think I can get up the cable with one arm," he said quickly.

"I see. Crash, you go ahead and scale the wall. I will ascend the other and you will have to use your cable to haul Kael up there," ordered Mako.

"Copy that, Sir," Crash answered before turning to Kael and adding, "I hope you're light."

"Only as light as you," was Kael's reply. Crash turned to the task at hand and within two minutes had climbed to the top. Mako was already a quarter of the way up when Kael wrapped one hand around the remaining cable and jerked on it once. At the top, Crash began to reel it in and Kael used his feet to make Crash's load lighter. Upon reaching the top, he let go of the rope and grabbed the edge. Crash reached down and gripped Kael's left arm around the wrist before hauling his over the edge.

"Lighter than I expected," he said brightly.

"Glad to hear it," Kael said as he caught his breath. Mako clambered over the edge a moment after and brushed off some of the sand that had accumulated on his armor.

"We need to see if we can make it back to Vire's shelter before she does," he commanded. Stunned, Crash and Kael looked at him.

"Sir, what if she's already back? We did give her a head start," pointed out Crash.

Mako quickly offered an explanation to his actions by saying, "I have the feeling she doesn't know her way through those canyons, and so with a little bit of luck we may be ahead of her."

"Copy that, Sir," said Kael.

"What if she has already arrived there," questioned Crash in doubt.

"She won't have, now lets move."

Mako shot Crash a look that Kael could only guess at, but he was sure it was something unhappy. Crash looked slightly unhappy as well but consented to Mako's superiority and followed as they began moving again.

"You know, I think I'm beginning to get used to this much exercise," said Kael to Crash as he tried to break the tension.

"Good to know you've adjusted. Most rookies take longer," replied Crash.

"And how many get stranded on uninhabited planets on their first mission?" asked Mako.

"I think he's the first."

Crash took on a more light tone as he answered, and Kael felt the tension snap like a worn out cable.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

When do these canyons end?

Vire asked herself the question as she wandered the maze of rock walls surrounding the Separatist camp. She had been walking for about twenty minutes and had wished that her navigation map had a more updated version about forty times. On her systems, it showed that this was supposed to be a river and half the walls that were really in front of her hadn't existed when her map was made.

Blast it, I'm lost again. Can this day get any worse?

Angered she kicked the ground in front of her. That's when something to her right exploded into flames. She jumped back on instinct and scanned the area seeing about two dozen bio-signs pop up around her on the cliffs above.

"Who's there?" she called bravely. The only sound that answered was a clicking hiss to her left. She spun around and saw a green scaled reptilian-based creature prowling closer to her. It had on a dirt colored brown rag of a tunic and a fur belt wrapped around its middle. The feet ended in claws about three inches long and the hands had claws extended as well. Fighting back a scream, Vire turned and dashed away not even stopping to consider who they were and what they wanted. That's when she ran into yet another familiar face.


	8. 7

As soon as they arrived, Mako sent Crash and Kael inside while he kept watch for the cave's sole inhabitant.

"Last I saw the only things she owned were explosive blasters and a bunch of empty crates," said Kael as they rummaged through Vire's belongings. Crash shrugged and tossed an empty cartridge to Kael.

"Who knows, bounty hunters are notorious for hiding things."

Kael nodded as he dropped the cartridge into a box containing all the empty containers they had found.

"Let's check the contents of those crates," he suggested.

"Good idea," replied Crash.

Kael strode over to the haphazardly thrown crates that Crash and Mako had smashed into during the previous fight. He attempted to pry the top off one of the crates with no luck.

"This might help," Crash offered holding a crowbar out to the younger man.

"Thanks."

Kael took the tool and wedged it under the lid. He shoved down with his left arm, and the top came away from the crate, falling to the floor with a hollow thud.

"I wonder how long these boxes have been sitting around if they are this difficult to open," said Kael and peered inside. At first he thought his eyes deceived him but took another look and confirmed that the contents were real.

Seeing Kael's surprise, Crash asked, "What's in there, Seppie droids?"

Kael shook his head slowly then reached in and pulled something out of the crate. He turned and quickly tossed it to Crash without a word. Crash caught the object and then almost dropped it like it had suddenly burned him. In his hands was a white, grey-marked clone helmet.

"Hotshot," he muttered before turning to Kael. "Kael, I think Vire is more dangerous than we give her credit for. She's not just some amateur wisecrack who carries a big blaster," he warned as he fingered the symbol emblazoned onto the side of the helmet.

"Why?" questioned Kael.

"This helmet belonged to Commander Hotshot, the original Commander of the 514th. Commander Kell has been in charge ever since she went missing," Crash explained.

"Understood, but why is Vire so dangerous all of a sudden?" Kael continued.

"I think she killed Hotshot, judging by the looks of things," said Crash grimly. Kael didn't say a word.

"Find anything interesting in there," Mako shouted from outside.

"Yessir," Crash yelled back.

"What is it?" came the sergeants reply.

"Might want to come see for yourself," Crash called.

Mako made no answer but joined the other two within moments of Crash calling him in.

"I thought you might want to see this," Crash said, and he handed Mako the helmet adding, "It was found in a crate belonging to Vire."

"This was in there?" Mako inquired pointing to the open crate, a sharp edge in his voice.

"Yessir," Kael told him.

"Sorry, Commander," Mako mumbled and then looked up at his men. "What else is in that crate?"

"Armor, Sir, clone armor," Kael answered moving aside so Mako could step forward and see for himself.

"Really sorry," Mako breathed as he saw the armor laying inside the box.

"Sir?--," Crash asked.

Mako cut him off with the sharp reply of, "We are leaving, now. Kael, close that box and get your gun."

"Yessir."

"Are we taking the helmet?" Crash asked.

Mako's only reply was, "Yes."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Kael stared at the ground most of the journey back and wondered how in the world someone like Vire could have gotten the drop on this apparently renowned Commander Hotshot.

Vire doesn't look or act enough like a mercenary to have the skill of a top grade bounty hunter. She acts more like someone who's new to the trade, or who doesn't take it seriously.

He brushed aside a stray branch and glanced up to see Mako still trekking onward.

Even so, she did have the lightsaber, which shows she must have some talent in fighting. Or she's a pickpocket.

The ground began to change and he saw that it was giving way into the well-worn dirt road that led toward the city where they had established their "camp" as Mako called it. He looked up and turned his attention forward, putting all thoughts of Vire away.

"When we get back I want you, Kael, to help me make contact with Courscant," Mako ordered, some of the tension removed from his tone.

"Yessir," Kael answered as they passed the gates into the city.

Why do it now, It's been three days since we crashed, why not do it on the first day?

He asked himself the question as they passed another row of beat up houses. He noticed that vines had sprouted in a lot of the houses and were growing inside, choking away all signs of habitation.

Maybe that's what it was, attack of the vines.

He pondered the thought to himself. He was still considering the options for what drove these creatures out when they reached the shelter. As Mako gave Crash some orders to walk the perimeter Mako had established two days ago, Kael came back out of his own thoughts.

"Make sure no droids have set cameras or traps."

The Sergeant's voice entered the room from outside. That's when Kael remembered that he was to help Mako with the communications. With that thought he pulled out his comalink only to find it cracked and blinking red at him. In frustration he threw the useless tool to the ground. It skittered under the table before being snatched up by some cat-like vermin. Mako walked in and Kael turned to the other man.

"You said I was to assist you with communications, Sir," he said.

"Yes, I did," Mako replied as he took a seat and removed his helmet. He pulled a more intact comalink off his own belt, and Kael knelt down to see.

"I would have established contact with Coruscant three days ago had I been in possession of a working communication apparatus. Unfortunately I was not, so when you shot Brun I had Crash take her comalink, which should work seeing as she worked with those who are jamming our communications in the first place," he explained while activating it and running through a few frequencies. Kael nodded and watched.

"What am I to do, Sir?" he asked.

"Watch, you're a rookie still, so I figure you should learn how to do this," Mako answered. He thumbed a button on it and disabled the locator. Pressing the activation stud on the comalink he attempted to find the Coruscant channel but with no luck.

"Blast it, the thing's only good for short range. We would need an amplifier to reach the Jedi," he cursed and turned the comm unit off.

"Can we assemble one with the tech those aliens left around here?" Kael inquired.

"It's possible but highly unlikely. If you would like to give it a shot go ahead, you might just turn out to be another Deke," Mako answered returning the comalink to its spot on his belt. Kael ignored the last remark and glanced around at the food warmers, ventilation, processors, and locks.

"I'll do my best."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire felt someone grasp her arms and then pushed away as the other being let go of her. Snatching up a blaster she pointed it in the direction of the person before looking up at them. It was a man, another bounty hunter by the looks of his dress and weaponry.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. The other bounty hunter looked bewildered and stepped back.

"I, I was trying to find my way out of here," he answered with a surprised edge in his voice.

"You with those green scaly guys?" she asked interrogatively.

"No, I'm alone," he answered more firmly and reached down. Vire half expected him to pull out a blaster but he did nothing of the sort. He pulled out a credit chip.

"You trying to bribe me," she said and then added, "If so then I suggest you run."

"No, it's not really a credit chip, it has information on it. I was wondering if you would like it?" he asked holding it out, his rough tone suggesting honesty.

"What would I need with information," Vire inquired, keeping the blaster trained on the man.

"Well, it has the coordinates to a ship which I'm using to get off this rock, and I haven't seen yours anywhere, so I thought maybe you'd like to hitch a ride. All I need in return is someone to guide me out of this maze," he explained.

"You're out of luck, my map's no good so I'm stuck as well," Vire answered. He shrugged.

"You can have the info anyway, I already have the coordinates memorized. If you get out of here you can always meet me at the ship," he said and tossed the chip at her feet. Vire looked down at it then looked back up.

"I--," she began to answer but the man was gone. Annoyed at this mysterious man, she holstered her blaster and picked up the chip figuring that even if he lied about it having information on it there was the chance it was useful. With that she moved on, hoping the canyon would end soon.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Crash was still walking the perimeter watching for traps and such when he saw a tan figure darting from treetop to treetop. It was so fast he could barely make recognize the flowing pants and shirt it wore before the leaves of another tree hid it from view.

I thought the Rast were only indigenous to the East side of Nagem, Crash thought as he watched the tree line closely trying to spot another glimpse of the creature. When none came, he turned and resumed course, putting the question out of his mind. Instantly Mako's voice came through his helmet comm.

"Find anything of interest?"

"Only that the Rast are living in trees now," Crash answered.

"No traps," Mako continued in a serious tone.

"No, Sir," answered Crash.

"Good, Deke two here is putting together an amplifier for our comm. Finish that round and meet us here ASAP." "Deke two?"

"Kael's apparently good with tech too."

"I see, Yessir," Crash finished and quickened his pace.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire finally located an exit from the canyon, thankful it led into the forest that she knew.

Finally.

She sighed in relief and ducked under an orange- leafed branch.

At least this part of the map still matches.

She began to speed up her pace, and within minutes Vire had reached the area surrounding her shelter where she set traps to keep the vornskrs away.

Home sweet home, well, for now.

She looked around and saw that place was destroyed. All around her were signs of the battle that had happened the day before. The boxes and crates were still thrown about the floor and her blasters were scattered around. The crowbar Kael had used earlier that day was thrown onto the floor next to the crate he and Crash had opened. Stepping inside, she felt something touch her foot and looked down to see the only neat thing in the room, the box that Crash had Kael had filled with the empty cartridges.

Those clones must have visited here after they got their comrade back.

Growling with frustration she kicked the box of cartridges over, and they spilled all over the floor. She grabbed one the crates and set it on top of another one, then slid them both back against the wall. She continued this action with the other boxes until she reached the one Kael and Crash had opened and looked at. When she reached to pick it up she noticed that the lid had come off slightly.

And they looked into my stuff. Should have known.

She shoved the lid back into place without even checking the contents then stacked it with the others. Vire sat down and leaned forward placing her elbows on her knees as she gazed down at the ground. Frustration boiled up inside of her and she ripped off her helmet, dashing it against the floor. It rolled a few feet away from her and stopped. Lifting her hands to her head, Vire reached back and pulled her long hair out of it's perfect bun and let it fall down past her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment.

How long ago was it I looked in mirror? Do I even remember what I look like? If I can't remember where I was before that crash, whose to say I haven't forgotten more?

She tried to imagine herself, recreate her looks in her mind.

Brown hair, long just past my shoulders. I have...brown eyes I think and tanned skin. I'm as tall as Kael, Crash, Mako and Calso, so I must be at least 5'11", and, and. I don't know anymore.

The hot feelings of anger draining away, Vire lifted her head and twisted her hair back into a painfully tight bun near the nape if her neck then stood, grabbing her helmet. She tried to see herself in the reflective visor but it was too dark. So, she simply put it on.

Who cares what I look like anyways. I know what I need to. My name is Vire, I'm a bounty hunter, and I'm getting off this planet.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"I'm back," said Crash as he entered the ruined house ten minutes later.

"Find anything more after we talked?" asked Mako from his seat on the bench.

"Nothing, Sir," Crash told him, looking over to Kael who was at the table using a rusted hydrospanner to tighten up some sort of connection on the small amplifier he had assembled.

"Good work," Mako said and looked at Kael. "Almost done?"

"Almost," Kael replied.

"Good," was Mako's answer. "So as you can see we've picked up yet another Deke," he added to Crash.

"At least he will have someone to get along with," Crash noted as he watched the rookie work.

"Sir, I'm missing a plasma cell. Without it I can't get the antenna to activate long range. I can cover the planet's surface, but the plasma cell is the only power source strong enough to extend the wavelength to Courscant," Kael called as he set down the hydrospanner. "The only tool or weapon I can think would have one is a lightsaber, and Vire lost hers."

"Can you use a regular power cell and extend the range to reach the fleet? They shouldn't be too far off," suggested Mako.

"I can try, Sir, but no guarantees."

Picking up the hydrospanner and gutting another piece of household machinery, Kael went back to work on the amplifier.

"I hope he gets that done," Mako said.

"You and me both, Sir," Crash answered.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Ktar, the Count has allowed you to continue your search for CC/881/6," Grievous called loudly as he stalked over to the returning bounty hunter. Ktar had actually been the first to search Vire's things and had cleared out as he heard the clones approaching.

"Fine, but tell him that I will be trying a new approach," Mastro answered as he turned, annoyed at having had no rest in between.

"I will," snarled Grievous.

"And ask him if he still wants those clones dead," Mastro continued.

"What!" screeched Grievous. "They were supposed to be dead!"

"Tough luck, General, thanks for relaying the message."

Ktar walked off for the third time since he had landed here, this time with a new approach in mind, and sure it would succeed.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Count, the bounty hunter wishes me to inform you that he is trying a new approach and asked me to inquire if you still want those clones dead."

Grievous repeated the message to Count Dooku that Mastro had left as the menacing blue hologram of Grievous's master appeared.

"Tell him that they are only to remain alive until their usefulness is ended. And add that when it is over, we will handle them. However, I am disappointed that your droids failed to eliminate them the first time," Dooku answered slowly, his deep voice resonating with control.

"Yes, my lord," Grievous replied. Dooku nodded within the shrouds of his cloak.

"Also, I wish you to keep an eye on that woman, Vire. I hear she escaped and I would like you to be cautious of her. And General, do not fail me," Dooku warned with a dire tone.

"I...yes, my lord."

Grievous bowed his head and Dooku cut the transmission.

"A-3!" he shouted once outside. The brown colored droid turned it's head and marched over to Grievous's position.

"Yes, master," it answered.

"You were supposed to terminate CT/660/1 and CT/781/8," Grievous shouted in anger.

"Did we not, General?" the commando asked it's rough voice sounding strange asking such a formal question.

"No! You have failed me!" Grievous stormed shoving his own metal face into the droids. "You will fix this," he ordered quietly.

"Yes, General," replied the droid to Grievous's back as the general stormed off.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

After working relentlessly and in vain for another standard hour, Kael asked permission to walk the perimeter.

"Granted," said Mako, and Kael nodded before gathering his helmet and blaster. However, before he could walk out the door, Mako called one last piece of advice,

"Watch your arm, it's still injured."

"Yessir," Kael answered and walked out.

About thirty minutes ago he had wondered what the pounding noise outside was and he now had his answer. It was raining. Shocked to see that much water after three completely dry days he stopped a moment. He then continued on his way until he reached the huge split in the city wall that marked the halfway point. At this he stopped a moment amazed it was still raining. As Kael stood there waiting he heard only one noise that wasn't rain.

"First time's a shocker."

Kael heard the voice to his left and stepped farther into the rain to see who was speaking.

"Don't worry, I'm not armed at the moment."

He heard the person closer this time, and when he was close enough to make out faces through the drizzle of rain he was shocked almost as much as he had been stepping into the rain.

"What are you doing here," the rookie clone asked quietly.

"Taking a walk," Vire said.

"A walk. Don't try to fool me," he shot back, raising his voice some.

"I'm not trying to fool you. Just because I'm a bounty hunter doesn't mean I make it my sole intent to plot revenge against you every waking moment," she said pointedly. "Some of us are real people."

"Nice try, now I suggest you leave before I shoot you," Kael threatened.

"No," she answered stubbornly.

"I gave you a warning," he said raising his blaster with his left arm. Deciding not to take any chances of mercy, Vire ducked under his blaster hand to grab Kael's right arm which hung uselessly at his side. She twisted behind him bringing the injured arm up behind his back and twisting it painfully. Kael felt the stab of pain shooting up his arm and dropped his blaster, falling to his knees as Vire pushed him down.

"I'm leaving. You mention this to that sergeant of yours, or your pilot friend, and I will blast you in a heartbeat next time we meet," she whispered menacingly. Kael nodded, gritting his teeth as she gripped his injured wrist harder.

"Fine," he managed to say.

"Glad we could talk," she replied releasing him and disappearing.

"Bounty hunter slime," he mumbled angrily retrieving his blaster and getting back on his feet. How he was going to explain this to Mako he didn't know.

Vire and her threats can't stop me from explaining this mess, Kael thought resentfully.

He brushed the mud off his armor and holstered the blaster.

I see now where Mako is coming from when he say's that Vire isn't all she seems.

He began walking hurriedly through the downpour. Lightning flashed and he realized the wind had picked up. This was about to become more than a drizzle. Breaking into a run he dashed around a corner into what looked like a short cut. The wind began to howl and rain stung his face as he ran down one row of houses and around another corner. He saw a light and wondered if it was droids, Vire, or Mako and Crash.

Can't hurt to hope.

He slowed and approached it, finding the light to be coming from a light Mako had powered up and turned on. He stepped into the dry atmosphere and immediately sat down on the bench, still sopping wet, silent.

"Like to walk in the rain?" Crash teased with an edge of humor. Kael gave him a withering look and Crash fell silent.

"Find anything but rain?" Mako inquired, as tactical as ever.

"I...no, Sir," Kael answered.

"Well, at least the Seppies seem to be oblivious to our base," replied Mako trying to keep on the bright side at the moment.

"Hey Kael, you bang up your arm more?" Crash asked then added, " It's bleeding a bit." Kael glanced down at his injured arm to find a cut in the body suit.

"Must have," Kael said without looking up.

"Yes or no, Rookie," Mako asked firmly.

"Yessir, I tripped up in the rain, the mud's slick out there," Kael lied.

"We'll have to be careful tomorrow, if the mud stays slick, that is," Mako answered.

Mako watched as Kael looked up and nodded in reply. "Any luck finding a high charge power cell?"

Kael looked over at the table, "No luck."

"Have to find one tomorrow. I meant to look in some of the other houses and see what was left behind, but the rain caught me," Kael explained, and as if in answer to his statement thunder boomed making the ground shudder as some plaster fell from a crack in the ceiling.

"When you go out on perimeter check tomorrow you can look for some. I have the feeling that we are staying in tonight," Mako said.

"Yessir."

"Too bad the fleet isn't closer," muttered Crash.

Mako turned to the pilot and asked, "Why is that?" "The power cell from my blaster would give the amplifier range over this planet and 5,000 kilometers into the space around Nagem, but the fleet is too far off."

"Nice plan though," Kael put in.

Crash nodded his thanks and returned his power pack to it's rightful place in his blaster.

"Men, it's late. Get some rest," Mako ordered trying to finish the conversation.

"What about Vire and the Seps? Should we sleep in shifts and keep watch for them?" Kael reminded.

"Good reasoning, Kael. I will take first watch, Crash you go next, and Kael last," Mako answered as Kael slid onto the floor and Crash got up.

"Can do, Sir," replied Crash before adding, "See you in and hour or so."


	9. 8

The next morning was as sunny and dry as it had been the day Mako, Kael, and Crash ended up on the planet. Mako was, like always, first to be up. Spending a little time outside, thinking, he found the crisp, dry air refreshing.

I wonder how much rain they get here?

After making a few mindless rounds, the clone sergeant headed back. At the base they had set up in the dilapidated house, Mako woke the other two clones quickly before moving onto the day's plan.

"We are going to stay here for today with the exception of Kael and I going to see whether Vire is back or not," he ordered. Crash gave a short nod. Kael gave no motion of acknowledgement.

"Decided to show him the ropes," Crash stated.

"Can't hurt," answered Mako. Kael was up now and checking on the device he had assembled the day before

"Rain got into it, and the main coupling's shot. I'm going to need another one," the rookie muttered as he continued to inspect the amplifier.

"Did you say something, Rookie?" Mako asked.

"Just mentioning that I need a new power coupling," Kael replied. Mako nodded.

"Did you hear the plans?" he questioned.

"Yessir," Kael continued without looking in the sergeant's direction.

"Good, we're leaving in ten minutes."

"Yessir."

Kael finally directed his attention away from the machine and picked up his helmet before turning to Mako. "I'm ready when you are, Sir."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

All around them the day was as hot as before, and surprisingly dry.

"Big change from Kamino," Mako began, trying to coax a conversation out of Kael, who was once again quiet.

"Yessir," was Kael's curt reply.

"I'm surprised that it's not humid and muggy," Mako said making a second attempt.

"Me too, Sir," Kael said quietly.

"What's with you trooper. You're not normally quiet like this," Mako finally said getting straight to the point. Kael didn't want to seem disrespectful but couldn't think of an answer without telling of yesterday's events, so he stared at his boots as he walked behind Mako.

Eventually he spoke up saying, "I've been thinking on how to explain to you what really happened last night."

"So you've not told me something important I take it," Mako stated.

"I refrained from telling you, yessir."

Mako felt angry with the younger man but held back knowing he too had made mistakes as a rookie and withheld information from his superiors.

Somehow, Hotshot always seemed to know when something was up though, Mako thought in reminiscence.

"Kael, what really happened last night?" he hoped Kael would come clean this time.

"Vire, she assaulted me along the way and warned me against telling you. I was too scared to tell the truth once I got back, Sir."

"So you never tripped. It was her."

Mako took a deep breath. Vire was getting on his nerves and he had every mind just to get rid of her. He heard Kael starting to answer when he stopped in mid-sentence.

"Sir," Kael called. Mako turned to find the rookie leaning down to inspect some silvery object lying in the orange grass. Mako walked over wondering what silver object Kael could have found lying in the woods.

"The lightsaber," he breathed as he, too, saw what had caught Kael's interest.

"Vire's," Kael answered.

"No, this is not her lightsaber. It belongs to General Reel," Mako corrected as he identified the weapon himself. Kael reached down to pick up the slender weapon.

"I thought she said she lost in in our battle with Grievous," he said.

"She lied Kael. It's in the job requirements," Mako stated as Kael lifted the lightsaber from the ground. As soon as he closed his hand around it, a faint beep was heard by both of them, then another. The sound continued to come from the device, and even though it took him a minute, Mako eventually recognized the sound. Anger and surprise flaring up inside him, he jerked the weapon from Kael's hand and tossed it away from them with such speed Kael didn't know what his sergeant was doing. The beeping sped up rapidly until you couldn't discern one from the next. Mako flung himself around and shoved Kael down as the lightsaber exploded behind them throwing shrapnel into the air like bullets on a battlefield. When the fire finally died down, Mako picked himself up and helped Kael to his feet.

"She must have left that knowing we would pass this way," Mako spat in rage as he realized who had done the deed. Kael remained silent. Mako kicked a piece of large shrapnel that had landed nearby.

Kael decided to say something and began with, "Could have taken and used the power cell on that thing in my amplifier had she given us about ten more seconds before it blew up."

"That woman," Mako scowled and Kael gave up on his efforts to lighten the mood.

"Maybe we should head back, Sir."

"We'll go get Crash. Then we are going to find that scum."

Mako made a quick about face and started back. Kael followed obediently.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire had witnessed the whole event from a high branch where she laughed silently at how angry Mako had gotten over the whole mess. He was on his last straw and she knew it.

How do you think I felt to come back and find you had simply gone through my things? Vire thought maliciously. She made note that the trees around here weren't flammable and neither was the grass. Both had stopped burning the moment the explosion receded. She watched as Kael made an attempt at humor and ultimately failed, then she saw Mako and him leave, planning to bring their third colleague back with them. She had the feeling that Mako was about to exact revenge.

I will stay here and see how he deals with having revenge on a missing being.

She smiled, then saw a dark figure pass to her left.

Droids.

She made the assumption but was then corrected. A monkey-like face was peering at her through the leaves. It resembled a mix of human, avian, and monkey. The eyes gleamed and she finally realized what she was looking at. The creature was a Swar, the supposedly extinct race that used to live in the cities surrounding the forest. She jerked back and the Swar disappeared into the trees once more.

So the rumors are false. The Swar never went extinct.

She sat there a moment, trying to conclude what in the universe might have driven them out of the cities below and into the trees to live the life a primitive race.

Who cares, I have bigger problems to deal with.

Deciding to leave her idle though's behind she crouched down once more to await the clones return.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Stalking in the door Mako caught Crash's attention before the pilot could even look up.

"Crash, ready your blaster and come with me," ordered Mako as he paused a moment in the doorway, Kael watching from behind the sergeant.

"Yessir," Crash answered getting up and grabbing his weapon, which had been left on the floor within arms reach.

"Might as well prepare for a walk, too," Kael called.

"Where are we headed, Sir?" Crash inquired making note of Kael's suggestion.

"We are going to find that low life who calls herself a bounty hunter," Mako growled as Crash joined them.

"Vire attacked you?"

"No, she laid a trap that almost killed us both."

"I see, Sir."

Mako made an about face and looked back to make sure that Crash had his weapon before he lead them to Vire. The sergeant's pace was brisk, indicating his frustration.

"May I ask how she laid the trap, Sir," Crash questioned keeping pace beside Mako.

"She lied about losing the lightsaber, when Kael and I were walking by he spotted it lying on the ground and apparently she had placed a bomb inside. I threw it away from us, but it was close enough to singe us both a bit," answered Mako bitterly.

"The lightsaber belonged to General Reel," Kael explained hoping Crash would mention how Vire might have gotten her hands on it.

"Was the blade yellow?" Crash asked the question as they entered the forest.

"The question is, why would Vire have his lightsaber?" Mako mused, more to himself than his men.

"We didn't turn it on, so I don't know," Kael answered Crash, seeing the sergeant distracted.

"It was the yellow one, with the straight hilt," Mako answered.

"Is it important?" Kael picked up the pace as he asked the question.

"Yes, Reel gave one of his lightsabers to Hotshot last time we saw her. No one but those leaving with her knew why," Mako explained to Kael.

"So Vire must have obtained it after killing the Commander," answered Kael simply and accidentally fell back a pace or two. Mako nodded solemnly. Kael noted that the sergeant's mood had lightened some but was still more hard than usual.

Crash heard all conversation cease so he changed the subject slightly saying, "Do we have a plan of action once we find Vire?"

Mako remained silent for a moment shaking his head ever so slightly, then spoke saying, "I haven't devised one yet but don't worry, I'm working on it."

With those words he silenced everyone, and the rest of the journey was made in absolute silence.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire was not the only bounty hunter out there watching people. From a distance Mastro was tracking all four people, and he, too, had witnessed the clones finding the lightsaber and the explosion that ensued. He had one eye on Vire but was more importantly stalking Mako, Kael, and Crash.

They seem intent on finding her.

He used his visor to zoom in on their position and tuned his audio to their helmet frequency.

"Is it important?"

He heard Kael and Mako holding a conversation over the lightsaber and what role it had played. Mastro shook his head, they weren't giving him any information. Then he heard Mako's answer Kael's question.

"Yes, Reel gave one of his lightsabers to Hotshot last time we saw her. No one but those leaving with her knew why." Mastro straightened at the mention of Commander Hotshot.

They must know where she is.

Feeling like he was getting close to an answer, he turned up the audio a tiny bit hoping to hear if either clone would mention where she had gone.

"So Vire must have--."

All of a sudden a burst of static blurred out the rest of the sentence, and Mastro was left in the dark as his visors display went dark.

"I thought I saw some sleemo watching me," a female voice said. Mastro tapped his visor, and eventually the display came back up allowing him to see a woman crouching in front of him. Her dark grey blast-proof vest, green-gray jumpsuit and red painted helmet shadowed by the leaves blocking the sunlight. She had one pistol drawn and had it trained on him.

"Glad my presence didn't go unnoted," Ktar answered, trying to sound calm and cool.

"Quit bantering, Sleemo, and get lost," Vire demanded, waving the weapon in his face.

"Ah, but I have every right to be here," he said. She made an angry sound and lunged for him. Mastro leapt away, and she caught the branch above her swinging after him. He dashed from leafy branch to leafy branch leading her far from their original position. He had one destination in mind and made a very roundabout journey until he reached it. Then he bounded forward just two feet from Vire, who stopped two branches behind him.

"Done running?"

She jumped toward him aiming for a branch to his right. Mastro reacted with haste and lashed out one foot to kick her in the back, knocking her away from her target. Vire shouted in surprise and twisted around as she fell past the branch she intended to land on. Mastro smiled as she missed it and watched her fall to the ground.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Vire was glad she had been no more than ten feet from ground level as she tucked and rolled onto the ground below. Seething with rage at Mastro for outsmarting her again, she jumped to her feet intending to go after him, but as she whirled around she came face to face with the people hunting her down.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Stop right there," ordered Mako, drawing his blaster as he saw Vire stand up and turn to face him.

"You," she snarled stopping in her tracks.

"Kael, take her weapons," Mako said firmly.

"Yessir."

Kael stepped forward and took both pistols from her holsters as well as the thermal detonator she had taken off his belt. He also took her two knives, one concussion grenade, and one hold-out blaster hidden at the bottom of her holster.

He carried them to Crash, who put all of her weapons in his standard issue pack.

"What do you want from me," she asked sourly.

"You set the trap that almost killed me and Kael. We are taking you as a prisoner for assault and theft," Mako answered. She growled and dropped her hands as Kael came behind her securing them in binders.

"I hope Ktar gets stranded here till he rots," she muttered. Kael pushed her forward and she took a reluctant step forward, as Mako holstered his blaster.

"You are going to stay with us. If you make any attempt to escape I reserve the right to shoot or stun you. However I would prefer not to drag your body all the way back the that city, are we clear?" Mako said.

"Yes," murmured Vire, as Kael motioned for her to get moving. Mako turned without another word and lead them back the way they came.

That was easy, too easy.

He wondered who could have knocked her out of that tree, or if she just fell. But either way he was sure that something was up. This was all going too well. Behind him his new captor seethed.

"Always thinks he's in charge," Vire muttered to herself. "Even when I clearly hold the superiority."

"Be quiet," commanded Kael shoving her forward.

"Fine," she whispered and fell silent.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"So what are you going to do with me if you're stuck here with no way to make contact with your leaders?" Vire asked while they were stopped half an hour later. Mako was resting against a tree as he watched her through his helmet's visor.

"Keep you. We will eventually get a message through. Then you will be locked in a Republic prison for your crimes," Mako answered harshly.

"What if I told you I've never really committed any crimes," Vire asked. Kael kicked a rock into the grass.

"We wouldn't believe you," Mako told her blankly. "And if it was the truth," she continued.

Mako gave her a withering look even if she couldn't see it, then he bluntly answered with, "Too much evidence against it."

"What evidence!" she burst out losing control of her anger.

"We saw the armor of a colleague of ours in your belongings. No one just comes across that stuff unless the person is dead, or you killed them yourself."

Mako removed his helmet.

"I never killed anyone!" shouted Vire looking away from him, seething with frustration. She just couldn't make him believe her.

Kael observed the argument and wondered why Mako would keep going like this against someone he clearly disliked. He walked over next to the sergeant.

"Sir, may I ask why you would argue with her?" he inquired.

"I can't let her win, she's wrong," answered Mako.

Crash cut in with, "Like you and The Commander used to do. She would ask you something, and you two would disagree on the answer, then get into an argument and neither of you would give until someone told you to."

"Yes and no," Mako said, "we do keep arguing, but she is not the Commander." Then he straightened up and clipped his helmet onto his belt. He immediately turned to his men dishing out orders, "Kael, get Vire so we can leave."

"Yessir."

"Are we going to stick around here any longer or are we escorting her back to the shelter?" Crash questioned.

"We are going back to the shelter."

Vire scowled behind her own helmet, and Kael put one hand on her arm guiding her forward.

"No more questions until you are told you can speak," he ordered her, hoping to avoid another argument for now. Vire jerked away from him angrily and started walking.

"Move out," Mako called before resuming his lead. Crash followed Mako and Vire followed him, keeping about three paces in front of Kael, who was watching her from behind. He made sure that she stayed in line as they trekked through grass and trees. She never spoke and made no move to escape. Kael was amazed that she wasn't resisting as much as he had expected, however, he hid his surprise well.

The three kept walking for some distance before Vire finally made some remark.

"We shouldn't be here," she warned, looking around at the surrounding forest.

"Why should we believe that since it's coming from you?" Mako questioned from his position up ahead.

"Vornskrs, this is their nesting grounds. If we keep traveling they will most likely attack. I have been this way so please trust me," Vire pleaded, hoping he would at least heed this one warning.

"And where would we go to avoid this place, into one of your traps," Mako retorted. Vire felt Kael coming up behind her. She stopped walking.

"Just go around the place. I haven't set a trap for you I'm only trying to make it known that your lives are in danger!" Vire almost shouted in frustration at his blindsided stubbornness.

He always had to argue every point.

"Why would you want to keep us out of trouble?" asked Mako.

Deciding to be honest she called out, "Well, if you stay safe then I have a feeling I will stay alive, self-preservation."

"Scum," Mako called.

Feeling insulted Vire began to shout back beginning with, "You--." Then a vornskr leapt out in front of her and knocked Kael off his feet. "I told you!" she exclaimed, jumping aside to dodge another of the vicious predators.

"Just shut up!" yelled Mako as he shot one vornskr down. Crash kicked the one off of Kael and the two of them stood back to back blasters raised.

"We need to leave!" Crash said frantically. Vire nodded and ducked under the dark flying body of the vornskr Crash had shot. She then took a few unsure steps back to avoid the masses of animals that leapt out.

In the midst of the fight Mako shouted to his men, "Kael, Crash, follow me!"

"What about Vire, Sir?" Kael added.

"Get her and get going!" Mako continued, blasting another vornskr and ducking under the one that flew over his head moments later.

"Yessir!"

Kael flung himself after Vire, who was cornered, and grabbed one of her arms. He yanked her away and dashed through the rest of the leaping beasts that flew through the air around them. She stumbled after him and almost tripped over the smoking carcass of a dead vornskr.

"Keep going," Kael breathed, following Crash out of the melee. Vire sighed silently and picked up the pace until they were clear of the war zone.

Breathless, she looked at Mako through her helmet visor, and smirking behind the faceless helmet of hers, she said, "I told you."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Later that day Vire noticed that the detour had taken them on a longer journey.

"How did you know that was a vornskr nesting ground?" inquired Kael as he walked behind her.

"I have been on this planet three months, long enough to make a mental map of the areas I traveled," she answered.

"Why not leave?" Kael inquired, wondering if Crash was right and she was marooned.

"I can't. I'm stranded here like you," she replied with a dull tone, confirming his suspicions.

Mako muttered something unintelligible, then said aloud, "So I see."

"I'm just bursting with excitement that you do," Vire kept a blunt tone as she answered.

"Sir, I think I see the city wall up ahead," said Kael.

"Good, we should be at the town in no time," said Vire yawning.

"Good observation trooper," said Mako looking at Kael and ignoring Vire's comment.

"Why not use his name? It just sounds strange to call a person trooper," Vire stated trying to get some conversation flowing so she could sneak off, now that they were keeping less of a strict watch over her.

"Keep quiet," said Kael as they neared the deserted city.

Unhappily, Vire sighed before muttering, "Fine."

"Sir, do you see that!" Crash suddenly cried, out stopping and pointing to a light that shone out of one of the distant houses.

"I see it, but it doesn't make sense; there isn't anyone living there," replied Mako, as surprised as the pilot was. He turned to speak to Crash just in time to see the clone pilot suddenly pulled out of sight.


	10. 9

"Crash!" Mako shouted, seeing the man pulled from sight by a mysterious quarry. Then a roaring noise was heard, and Mako stepped back in shock.

"Who in the universe--," said Kael, stepping closer to Vire and grabbing her shoulder firmly. By that time, Mako was over in the trees looking for Crash.

"Kael, Vire and come here," Mako commanded, calming himself down.

"Copy," answered Kael and guided Vire over to where the sergeant was standing looking up at the sky.

"Sir--," he began.

Mako spun around and pointed an accusing finger at Vire, "You, was this your plan!"

"Nope," said Vire. Then they heard another rumbling, roaring noise, like that of a very loud speeder bike. They quickly ran out of the trees onto the path.

"I can't see anything," Kael noted, looking up.

"Me either. Whoever has Crash apparently wants to keep a low profile," Mako replied.

"My sensors are picking up two life signs and one energy reading right above us," Vire cut in, hoping that if she was helpful they would possibly trust her a little bit more.

"Seems you have found me. Don't worry we'll take good care of your friend. After all that's what our employer would want," boomed a voice from above. Kael put a hand up, shading his visor, but still couldn't see anyone.

"Who are you and who's your employer?" Mako shouted.

"You already know!" said the voice with an evil laugh and then disappeared.

It was Kael's turn to get angry and he whipped around to face Vire, shouting, "You lied!"

"I--," Vire defended quickly.

"Just be quiet!" Kael yelled. Vire fell silent. Mako turned to them looking very determined.

"We are leaving now," he ordered sharply.

"Yessir."

The rest of the walk was made in dead silence, leaving a sort of gloomy feel. However, once they were back the stillness was broken.

"The man, he mentioned that you were his employer, meaning that you know where Crash is," Mako told Vire as calmly as he could. "Care to explain?"

"That man is a liar. I had nothing to do his operation," Vire answered harshly.

Feeling a surge of anger, Mako looked her in face and demanded, "I think the only liar here is you. Tell us where you ordered your friend to take Crash!"

"I had nothing to do with your friend's kidnapping!" Vire shouted, now accustomed to the feeling of frustration she got when arguing with Mako.

"Tell me where he is!"

"I don't know!"

Kael watched as the two began quarreling like two children, all the while thinking to himself.

She never removes that helmet of her's does she? Makes one wonder what the real Vire looks like underneath, he mused, gazing at her faceless mask. Eventually Vire sat down on the bench behind her and shouted something at Mako. He stepped back in shock.

"What did you say," he hissed.

Vire raised her helmeted head a bit in triumph before answering, "The only reason you hate me is for supposedly killing your Commander."

Mako stepped away from her with a disgusted look on his face. "No, I only find your entertainment in other's demise unlawful and morally wrong."

"Says the man willing to kill for peace!"

"They are droids! Scrapping a droid is not killing!"

Once again the discussion heated up, and Kael decided it was best to keep out of it.

"Shut up scum," Mako finally said, turning away from Vire.

"Sir," Kael now said.

"Not now trooper," Mako replied, stalking around the room.

"I just--."

Mako stopped and faced Kael angrily shouting, "Just get your blaster and be quiet!"

Kael nodded, retrieving his weapon before sitting down and waiting. Silence once more prevailed and a menacing mood filled the whole room as all there sat there in stalemate, unsure what to do next.


	11. 10

Eventually, Mako and Kael got down to business, packing up some gear so they could go search for Crash.

"Sir, what are we going to do about Vire? Should we leave her here alone?" Kael inquired as he slung his pack over his uninjured shoulder.

"I'm not sure. It would be safer for you to stay here with her, but I don't know who we will face when we find Crash," said Mako

"I could go with you," Vire put in.

Looking like she had just insulted him, Mako told her, "No."

"Fine."

Kael slipped on his helmet.

"So we are leaving her here?" he asked in confirmation.

"Yes." Mako turned his back on Vire and waved Kael out the door, following behind the rookie. Vire gave both a malicious look that they wouldn't have seen had they been looking at her.

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Crash, now blindfolded but conscious, had been taken by Mastro to a small camp the bounty hunter had set up in the forest so he could spy on the clones. The bounty hunter threw Crash to the ground and ripped off the blindfold. Crash wriggled into a sitting position, thinking to himself how much more gentle Vire had been. Mastro walked away from Crash, parked, then switched off the speeder bike that had brought them here. This gave Crash enough time to glance around the camp and take note of his captor. Although Mastro had on a thick, brown miner's jumpsuit with a belt cinching the oversized jumpsuit around his waist, he had some sort of headset that revealed his bare, green-scaled head. A visor wrapped around to cover his eyes, and his face held a strong lizard-like resemblance. Tall, thin black boots contrasted the heavy jumpsuit and sleek weapons hung at the lizard man's side. Crash also saw that the camp was nothing more than the speeder and a long range transmitter.

That would relay our message to Coruscant easily.

The bounty hunter turned and saw Crash eyeing the transmitter, thought Crash as he eyed the machinery.

"Alright, enough looking around. Time to talk," Ktar hissed, his voice strangely human sounding. It was unnerving.

Crash looked up at the man and asked, " About what?"

Mastro smiled toothily and said, "That commander of yours."

"Commander Kell?" Crash was so lost to the reason why a lone bounty hunter wanted to know about Kell that he forgot to keep his mouth shut.

"No, the other one, Commander Hotshot." Mastro slurred the "sh" with such a tone it made Crash shiver.

Even so, he replied, "I won't tell you anything."

Mastro squatted down so that he was looking Crash in the eyes, his green visor glinting in the light of the three suns.

"You will tell me everything."

Crash, who still had his helmet on, raised his head some.

"No."

Mastro started up and pointed a clawed finger at Crash, making a sour face.

"You will tell me!" he shouted. Crash shook his head deciding it better to remain silent. The reptilian bounty hunter yanked out his blaster and pointed it at Crash's face, glaring down the barrel at the pilot.

"Tell me everything you know about Commander Hotshot," Mastro demanded sharply. Making no reply Crash gazed at the maddened bounty hunter holding him at gunpoint. Mastro growled. Hearing a faint click Crash saw the lizard man shift his weight and pull the trigger. Things went dark, again.

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Starting with the Separatist camp, Mako and Kael had traveled to the canyon outlook and prepared their ascension cables. They had traveled in silence, no one speaking a word or even implying a question. Vire had been left behind at the sheltered house still manacled and without weapons.

"The Seps might have another hideout or secret camp somewhere else in the canyons. You go west and I will check out the one we know about," Mako ordered as they prepared to descend.

"Sir, what if one of us runs into trouble?" Kael inquired.

"Fire two shots if you're in trouble. This place carries sound well enough," Mako answered and began climbing down.

"Yessir," said Kael, watching his sergeant disappear from view. Kael followed behind, and as they reached the canyon's marshy floor, they went on their way.

Mako traveled quickly to the Separatist camp, just in time to hear the tail end of a droid discussion.

"I think the general mentioned the prisoner being a clone," the first droid answered, sounding unsure. Mako could tell from the tinny voice that it was two battle droids talking. He wished he had heard the rest of the conversation.

"34B and 78B report!" General Grievous suddenly yelled.

Mako flattened himself to the wall so that his shadow was hidden in the larger shadow cast by the canyon wall. The droid general clanked by and the two talkative droids followed him. Mako snuck into the camp, following quietly and keeping an eye out for patrols. Ahead of him Grievous and the droid disappeared into what was clearly the Separatist landing craft. Mako slid behind the ship watching a patrol pass by where he had just been.

Those droids mentioned a clone prisoner. Vire must have ordered her colleague to take Crash to Grievous. I was right in checking here.

Mako thought this while trying to blend in with the shadowed wall behind the ship. He was sure that he had taken the right actions in finding Crash. Little did he know.

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Kael had a bit more traveling ahead of him. He didn't know where he was going, or what he would find, so he just followed the canyon's passageways, hoping to find something. Tired of seeing only brown and green, he began to look up at the sky as he walked. The three suns were shining with an intense brightness, and only the temperature regulating qualities of his armor kept him protected. Dry breezes were whipping what minimal amounts of sand there were off the canyon walls and into the marsh that surrounded him. Occasionally Kael saw small animals skitter around his feet. Suddenly he noticed a dark cave up ahead. It was hewn into the rock wall and a good ten feet above the ground.

Could lead to something.

The rookie trooper prepared his second ascension cable then remembered that climbing was impossible with his injured arm. Putting his cable away, he began searching for a new way up, That was when he saw the path. A sandy path wound its way up a slight slope that led into the yawning dark of the cave. Seeing it, Kael also concluded that someone had to have built that, Crash's captor included. Breaking into a slow run, Kael began up the path. He was soon standing in the entrance to a dark hole. Cautiously he entered, blaster readied in his left hand. A dark figure stepped forward, startling him. Kael raised his weapon and the figure stopped moving.

"Who are you?" he asked, realizing from the person's silhouette, it couldn't be Crash. The mysterious person's chest was slightly broader than the pilot's, and their figure was more muscular.

"My name's Calso, what's yours, shinie," the figure said, stepping into the light. Kael suddenly remembered Mako mentioning the man when they found his armor. Calso was the ARC trooper who had left his armor in the forest. Once in the light Kael saw why--the man was wearing bounty hunter armor over his black bodysuit.

"Why are you in bounty hunter armor?" Kael inquired, forgetting to mention his name.

"It was a mission. Can't tell you any more than that," Calso replied curtly.

"Understood, Sir," Kael said, acknowledging that the mission must have been classified.

Calso took note that Kael was wearing new clone armor, so he asked," Your name shinie?"

"Kael, Sir," Kael answered. He suddenly remembered he was holding his gun to the other man's chest and lowered it. Calso walked out into the dry air and looked up at the three suns.

"How did you get here?" Kael asked curiously.

Calso didn't look back but explained saying, "I was onboard a ship when it crashed. Because of the crash, I don't remember everything, but I remember the worst parts and some. I ditched my armor and kept this stuff hoping any Seps looking for our bodies wouldn't recognize me. Why are you here?"

"We crashed as well. I'm here looking for our pilot, Crash, who was captured about two hours ago," Kael said.

Calso turned and commented, "Crash? The name sounds familiar."

"He's our pilot. Sergeant Mako sent me looking for him."

"Mako. So you're with the 514th."

"Not yet, Sir, I'm the rookie assigned to Mako in replacement Rigger."

"I see. Well, if Mako's here then we'd better join him," Calso ordered. Kael wanted to explain that he was supposed to search the west canyons until Mako came for him, but Calso was now his superior, so the ARC's orders took precedence. On that note Calso exited the cave and Kael followed him.

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"Sir, I found your ARC trooper," said Kael as Mako, who was standing at the top of the canyon outlook, hauled him up.

"Is he alright?" asked Mako mistaking what Kael had said and assuming he meant Crash.

"Yessir," Kael told him, casting a glance at Calso who had begun climbing the wall behind him.

"No injury," Mako replied and then pulled Kael over the ledge. The younger man dusted himself off getting to his feet.

"No, Sir."

"Mako, any luck finding Crash?" inquired a voice from behind Kael. It was Calso who had jumped into the discussion.

"What?" said Mako, confused as he looked up quickly. He had thought Kael had brought Crash along. What other trooper had he picked up?

"I asked if you had any luck finding Crash," Calso repeated, clambering up onto the ledge and standing up. He was the same height as Mako but built more muscular than the clone sergeant.

"Blast! I thought you were Crash," Mako said in frustration as he realized who Kael had really found.

His voice full of dry sarcasm, Calso replied with, "Thanks."

"How on earth are you here?"

"Classified mission. We were shot down by Sep's," Calso explained.

Mako nodded knowingly and said, "Seems to be the trend in these parts."

"Sounds like a similar thing happened to you," said Calso. Mako gave a curt nod.

Kael saw the opening and cut in with, "Sir, did you have any luck finding Crash's whereabouts?"

"No," Mako said.

"Then we should get back to wherever you have set up camp. The sooner we find Crash, the better," Calso ordered. Mako consented to the higher ranked clone and said,

"Come on, Kael."

Following his commanding officer, Kael glanced behind him to confirm that Calso was coming. The ARC trooper noticed the gesture and gave Kael a short nod. Kael turned, falling in step behind Mako.

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Vire had waited hours for their return but heard nothing until the first of the three suns was disappearing below the horizon. Mako walked into the house, and she gave him a hard look, even though her helmet obscured her face from his sight.

As he stopped she sharply said, "Don't leave me here again."

Ignoring her, Mako took off his helmet and slammed it onto the table in frustration.

"She still here," Kael asked as he too entered, Calso trailing behind him.

"Who's 'she'?" Calso inquired before he noted Vire's presence.

Mako answered before Kael could, "She's still here."

"Yes, I am," mumbled Vire from across the room.

"You still haven't told me who she is," said Calso stopping and pointing to Vire.

Kael turned, and giving Vire a cold look, answered, "That is Vire."

"She is the bounty hunter who employed Crash's kidnapper," Mako continued. "We also have reason to believe that she is the killer of Commander Hotshot."

Angrily Vire shouted at Mako, "For the last time! I had nothing to do with your pilot's capture, and I didn't kill whoever this commander of yours is!"

Once more Mako paid no attention to her hot outburst. Calso was interested in the conversation, though.

"So what is this evidence you found pointing towards her crimes?" he inquired. Mako pulled Hotshot's beat up helmet from under the table and handed it to Calso, who turned it over, looking at the markings emblazoned onto it and the definite blaster hole burnt through the back, indicating a clean head shot.

Mako watched him, saying, "That was the only piece we brought back. The rest of her armor was stored in one of Vire's crates."

"You stole that from me! You're no better than a bounty hunter yourself!" Vire screeched, rising up only to be pushed back down by Kael.

That was the last straw for Mako and he turned to Vire, sharply yelling, "Just shut up!"

She fell silent and glared at him through rage-filled eyes. Calso finished his inspection of the helmet and set it lightly next to Mako's on the table.

"Do you have my armor? Or did you leave it behind and someone else found it? I saw someone had discovered it but didn't find it when I came back."

"I had Kael retrieve it some time ago. It's stored in the back," Mako answered jerking his thumb in the general direction.

"Glad to hear it," Calso answered, striding past the clone sergeant and heading for the back.

"He's more cheery than I expected an ARC trooper to be," Kael commented, watching Calso leave.

"Not all of them are dark and serious, but they all take combat as a deadly serious thing," Mako answered his voice still grim from his short-lived conversation with Vire.

"I see, Sir," Kael replied. Moments later Calso emerged back in his old armor, which sported many markings similar to those Kael had observed on Hotshot's armor when he and Crash had found it in the crates possessed by Vire.

As he walked in Calso said, "Feel's good to be back in my old gear." He pulled on one glove so that it fit his hand more snugly.

"So you're one of them," Vire commented with a nasty tone.

Looking at her Calso plainly said, "Yes."

"Should have known," she whispered.

"How long are you keeping her here?" Calso asked turning to consult Mako.

The sergeant, who didn't look happy either, answered, "Until she tells us who kidnapped Crash, and preferably until we can get her to a prison cell."

"She doesn't have a ship either," Kael explained.

Calso rolled his eyes with sarcasm saying, "Great, nice old place we all picked to land." The room fell silent, but everyone was silently agreeing.

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For the past forty-five minutes, the three troopers had been taking turns on perimeter walk's and checks. No one had any idea where to find Crash, and Vire wouldn't talk unless it was to prove why she didn't hire Mastro.

"Sir, I think I've found something!" Kael ran in from his patrol looking sweaty and excited.

"What did you find trooper?" asked Mako looking away from Vire to look at Kael.

Hastily Kael spilled his story explaining, "It's a river. It has no importance, but I found Crash's comm not far from it."

"What river?" asked Mako.

"It runs behind the city down in a gorge."

"Not too far from here then," Mako said more to himself than to Kael.

"Yessir."

"Calso, we're leaving," Mako called to the ARC, who was sitting and tinkering with the amplifier Kael had pieced together.

"I'll come, too. If that's okay with you, Sarge?" he said.

"Won't hurt anything. Vire can't leave," Mako answered. Kael nodded and let the sergeant pass him as Calso joined them for the expedition. Vire watched, deciding that she would only waste her breath trying to convince them to let her join their expedition.

The overall journey took no more than ten minutes. Upon reaching the site, Kael ran ahead pointing out Crash's comlink hidden at the bottom of a small bank leading down to the river.

"I didn't move it," Kael said.

"You think Crash left us a trail of things?" asked Calso. Mako didn't say a thing.

Finally he answered with, "No, otherwise he would have made it more obvious to us. He must have synced his comm with his captors frequency so we could track him."

"That sounds like Crash," Calso commented, watching Mako turn on the comlink, which worked despite the fact all others had been destroyed in the crash that stranded them here, however, it's range was limited.

"Here, the comlink will lead us," said Mako, and he held it out watching the blinking red light. Turning slowly, he stopped when it flashed slightly faster.

"Follow me and be cautious. Whoever captured Crash will be prepared," Mako ordered them quickly. Calso and Kael nodded together. Mako started leading them through the thinly wooded area.

After about twenty paces, the light began flashing more slowly, so they stopped waiting until Mako had found the new direction they were to take. They turned left. After about five more lefts and one right, Kael had the feeling that they were getting closer. At the moment they were continuing in a straight path without variation.

"We should be close. This thing is really speeding up," Mako said.

"Good news to hear," Calso answered. Kael glanced around and saw that the trees in this area looked sticky, and a blue substance oozed from holes that resembled blaster shots.

"Sir, does that look natural to you?" asked Kael, stepping towards one and running his gloved hand across the bark. His hand came away sticky and covered in a blue gel- like substance.

Mako looked away from the comlink and stepped up beside Kael saying, "Looks more unnatural, almost like someone shot the tree repeatedly."

"Someone in these parts must have anger issues," said Calso jokingly.

Shaking his head Mako consulted the comlink again, ordering, "This thing is telling us to head right past them." Kael heard him but made no reply as they began moving again.

"Could they be a sign that the captor used to mark the path leading to his camp?" Kael inquired.

Without a pause Mako answered, "They are. It's made to look natural so as to throw the untrained off course. You will learn to recognize tricks like that without a second glance the more you're in the field. One of the many things they don't teach you on Kamino that they should."

Kael acknowledged the answer silently.

"You've learned much since I last saw you, Mako," commented Calso.

"You've never been in the field with just me and my men. I've known these tricks for a while," Mako answered.

"True. General Reel preferred to keep me out of routine missions and called me to help only when the commander needed it," Calso agreed. In front of him, Mako suddenly stopped and held up a closed fist for silence. Ready for action, Calso pulled out one DH-17 blaster pistol. The once faint beeps of the comlink were now one shrill, slurred sound that Mako silenced by turning the device off.

"Prepare for attack," Mako whispered, switching to his helmet comm so he could freely talk with Kael and Calso only.

The resounding answer was, "Yessir."

"Crash could be anywhere so check your aim," warned Mako, raising his own weapon and creeping forward a few feet. Calso was right on his heels with Kael, who was holding his DC-15 clumsily in his left hand. As silently as they could, they carefully spread out on a unvocalized order and surrounded the area preparing for an ambush.

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Back in the house, Vire wasn't happy about being left behind. Mako and Kael had left the door open, but there was an old security system Kael had supposedly rigged back up-- one not to keep people out, one to keep her in. She had been angry the first time but now she was furious. Of course she understood that they didn't trust her, she felt like they were taking it too far, holding her prisoner where there was no law, no prison. She needed to get out.

I am so fed up with Mako and his self-righteous Republic law.

She fumed to herself while staring out the window that was cut high into the opposing wall.

Who cares about what law 13 paragraph 15 says about bounty hunting when we are stuck on a planet with no escape. We need each other's help more than justice right now.

She sighed then realized that if she kept mulling over why they should have left her behind she would never escape. She needed a plan now.

The fusion cutter, Kael left it on the table.

Getting up quickly, she reached out and clumsily took it, trying to manage the thing with her hands bound to one another. After about five minutes she got it into position but then ran upon the problem of turning the thing on.

Blast it, the power switch is on the other side

She managed to get it turned around again then turned it on. Carefully maneuvering the tool, she moved it into position again and began cutting through her manacles at a slow pace. After waiting two minutes she noticed that it had almost gotten through the first hinge. Feeling excited she watched the purple flame that emitted from the cutter's end, then it sparked and sputtered out. Vire dropped it in frustration and kicked the tool across the floor.

Blast that thing! It ran out of power.

Feeling her anger rise up into her throat again, she growled and sat down heavily on the bench. Fear also climbed up beside the anger, fear that she would never escape. Feeling doomed to remain a prisoner forever, she slouched back and watched the first star appear in the sky.

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Kael, Calso, and Mako were in ready position around Mastro's camp and were preparing to storm it. All three had on night vision seeing as the sky began to get gradually darker.

Over his internal helmet comm, Mako called, "Calso?"

"Ready," was the man's reply.

"Kael?" asked Mako.

The younger trooper replied with, "Yessir."

"Begin attack," Mako ordered. All at once all three clones were on their feet, rushing into the cleared area. Mastro, who was leaning over his communication apparatus speaking with Count Dooku was taken by surprise. Kael took a shot at Ktar but missed, hitting the transmitter instead. It fizzled and Dooku's image disappeared as the thing threw sparks. Ktar had whirled around by this time and was charging at Kael. Calso intercepted him, tackling the lizard man to the ground and wrenching one blaster out of his green scaled hand. Mastro returned the move with a blow to Calso's jaw, not doing any damage but knocking his helmet off.

"Crash!" yelled Mako, seeing the clone pilot slumped against a tree as though he was dead. While Ktar was engaged with Calso and Kael, Mako rushed over and knelt beside the pilot, laying aside his weapon to take Crash's helmet off, laying it aside as well. He frantically searched for a pulse, finding one that was both strong and steady. Recognizing the pilot's state as unconsciousness, he got to his feet taking up arms once more. Ktar had now broken free of Calso and was dodging Kael's shots. Because of his injury, Kael was using his left hand, making his aim sloppy and his shots missed the bounty hunter.

Suddenly awakening, Crash tried to sit up and heard blaster fire around him as a familiar voice shouted orders. Groggily responding he asked, "Mako?" The clone sergeant didn't hear him and Crash sank back again. The world seemed to be spinning before his eyes, and his head felt like something was building up inside.

"Kael, get down!" screamed Mako as Mastro lunged for the rookie with a viborshiv in his hand. Behind him Calso rushed up firing randomly. Struggling to dodge blaster fire and keep course, Mastro tripped and Calso was soon on top of him. Weapons were laid aside, or tossed and the two of them became locked in hand to hand combat. Mastro had the advantage with his clawed fingers, but Calso was superior in strength. Kael, who had dropped to the ground as soon as Mako ordered him to, was now getting back on his feet. Walking over, Mako kept his blaster trained on the two men fighting, hoping for a clear shot at Mastro.

"Check on Crash," Mako commanded as Kael got to his feet, clutching his injured arm in pain.

Kael nodded and answered, "Yessir."

Walking quickly over to the pilot, Kael reached Crash's side and found the clone pilot was awake but still disoriented.

Crash noticed Kael kneeling beside him and turned his head saying, "Come to rescue me?"

"Yes," Kael said.

"Might want to take out the bounty hunter first. He will probably object to the rescue," joked Crash weakly. His voice was thin and quiet making Kael worry that the bounty hunter had harmed Crash. Behind him he heard a sharp cry and whirled around instantly on his feet. He was reassured when he saw that it wasn't Calso or Mako that had cried out. It had been Mastro, who was now laying sprawled on the ground. Kael could see that the lizard-man wasn't dead, only knocked out.

"How's Crash?" Mako called. In response Crash gave a thumbs up, and both the clone sergeant and ARC trooper hurried over as Crash struggled to his feet.

Crash, now noticing Calso, asked, "Who's with you?"

"Calso, Kael picked him up while we were searching for you," Mako explained jerking a thumb in the ARC's direction.

"Calso, I haven't seen you since I flew you and Col into the Tion cluster," Crash replied, some of his strength returning.

A look of recognition crossed Calso's face and he said, "I remember that, those were good days."

Kael glanced nervously back at the unconscious bounty hunter and Mako decided it was time to leave. The clone sergeant was slightly frustrated at once again losing yet another way of contact, but nothing could be done. He motioned for them to move out.

"Lets go before that scum wakes up and causes us more trouble," he said, and Crash nodded in agreement as he put one arm around Mako's neck for support. Then all four headed back to the deserted city.

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Very soon they were back in the shelter with Vire staring daggers at all of them. Her helmet, and stiff, angry posture made her seem almost droid-like. Kael made note of these things while he watched her. Off to one side Crash rested and talked with Calso.

"Did the bounty hunter ever mention why he captured you, ask any questions, or make known his intentions?" Calso asked.

Crash, without hesitation, answered, "He asked me questions about Commander Hotshot, almost like he wanted to know if she were real or not. I refused to answer and he stunned me."

"Why would a low-life like that want to know about Commander Hotshot?" Calso replied.

"Because he's been employed to kill or capture her.  
It's why most bounty hunters ask questions about people," Vire put in coldly.

Just as icily Crash responded with, "We already know you killed her. Chances are he knows too."

Vire huffed and let the argument drop. She had never liked arguing with Crash.

"It is a possibility he doesn't know the Commander is dead and is still hunting for her, or he could have different intentions," Mako said, adding his opinion to the conversation.

"I guess we can only learn his intentions from his employer," Crash answered turning an accusing eye towards Vire. Mako nodded in agreement with the statement.

"I have told you a thousand times, it wasn't me," Vire announced pointedly turning her head in a gesture of annoyance.

Mako had now assumed a harsh tone and said, "We'll see whether that's the truth or not."  
Calso nodded in approval and turned back to Crash for a more friendly conversation.

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Aboard his flagship, Count Dooku had been speaking with Mastro Ktar when their discussion had abruptly been cut short.

"It will be done, my lord," Ktar finished, then Dooku watched as the bounty hunter's blue image whirled around and blaster fire came out of nowhere. Ktar cleared out and The Count was given a clear view of three clones. Where the third had come from he was unsure, but the other two he knew had crashed several days before, as had the clone Mastro had captured.

"I thought they were dead! Your general reported them deceased," Boba cried angrily from his spot at Dooku's side. He clenched his fists and stared at the projector with hate burning in his eyes.

"Worry not, they will be killed, but for now we need information from them," The Count reassured in his deep calm voice. The images suddenly went dark as the transmission was cut from the other end. Dooku made an about-face, his black cape swirling around, making this noble from Sereno look even more noble.

Boba angrily asked, "What information could they give us?"

"They are members of Disaster squad, a clone squad well associated with your Commander Hotshot, they have information," Dooku replied. Fett followed angrily, as the sith lord exited the room at a regal pace.

"Fine, but I want them dead when this is over," Boba ordered, feeling no emotion for his former brothers.

"Once we have your information, trust me, they will die."

Dooku stopped as a chatty droid commander stepped up to give The Count some information concerning his apprentice, Ventress.

"Sir, she has completed her mission on The moon of Christophsis," The droid reported in its shrill voice.

"Bring her here, and tell her to bring the Devastator with her," Dooku replied shoving the formal report back into the droid's hands.

"Yessir," the droid answered clomping off, its servo motors whining.

Boba watched the droid leave then insultingly asked, "Why are you bringing that bald creature you call a woman here?"

"She is a skilled assassin. Once we are finished with your friends, she will take care of them quickly and cleanly.

The droids are too slow and clumsy," explained Dooku as he stared out the viewport into the blackness of space.

"They are not my friends. I have no ties with them. Kill them yourself if you want," Boba retorted sharply.

"You are right. That was my mistake. I forgot, you are one of them," mocked The Count without changing his tone, or making it sound like an insult.

Boba's eyes lit up with rage and he cried,"I am not! I will have no association with their kind!"

"So you won't," The Count replied quietly, not caring what the young boy said in defense. The droids remained unfazed, continuing their work as the two stood there. One, a tall, regal count from Sereno, the other a rage driven, sad, young boy from Kamino.


	12. 11

Days later, after Crash had recovered, the clone force plus Vire as their prisoner hung around the deserted city, unsure what move to make next. Currently, Kael, whose arm had not healed quite yet, was watching Vire as she paced the room. Mako and Crash had gone with Calso to look at something intriguing Crash had discovered. Kael, being the youngest and most inexperienced had been stuck with guard duty. Pacing the room hurriedly, Vire, who still had her hands bound but was not bound to the bench where she normally stayed, muttered to herself. Kael watched. He was sitting with his back to the duracrete wall and involved in tinkering with the amplifier he had attempted to assemble days ago. He still had no sufficient power source but was able to busy himself with fixing the main coupling. Around and around Vire walked, talking to herself and acting like Kael didn't exist.

"I have to devise a way out," Vire muttered. Her voice just above a whisper.

Without looking up, Kael said, "I can hear you."

Vire cursed silently and stopped talking for a moment. Blast those clones, she thought to herself.  
Vire looked over at Kael, who was completely involved in his work.

He's not paying any attention to me, but I get the feeling that if I run or make a move to escape he's going to blast me.

Kael suddenly muttered, "Blast!" and jerked his hand away from the sparking coupling dropping the hydro spanner. Vire watched him reach for it again and settle back. She knew that the security system wasn't on because Kael was guarding her, so she noted everything about him that she could. He was sitting facing her, so he had the best view of her. He had the amplifier propped up on his leg, and his right arm was still cradled in the sling Calso had devised two days ago. Attentively, he was working on the amplifier with his left hand, and his helmet lay beside him. The black DC-15 blaster Kael usually carried was sitting next to the rookie on the floor about four inches away from his left leg.

Prepared to stun me if I make one wrong move.

She resumed her pacing.

"You can't escape," Kael called from where he was sitting. Vire ignored him. The amplifier suddenly let out an ear piercing screech and sparked violently. Kael dropped it along with the hydro spanner this time. It lay smoking on the ground about ten inches from his right arm. Growling with frustration, he got up to grab it. Vire seized the moment of vulnerability and flung herself at Kael's blaster just as he realized what she was doing. Kael jerked back and forgot the amplifier for a moment. Seeing that the clone was no longer distracted, Vire began worrying about a fight. True, she had the weapon, but he was faster and stronger.

I'd rather not risk it.

She spun around and aimed at Kael, firing randomly before fleeing the room.

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Vire! She's escaping!

Those were the first thoughts that entered Kael's mind as he saw the woman lunge for his blaster. Reacting as fast as his body and mind would allow, he sprang to his feet intending to knock her away from the weapon. Instead, he met a blaster bolt head on and staggered back a few inches. Dazed, Kael was unsure whether the bolt had penetrated his armor or not.

I will not let that scum get away.

Decidedly he tried to follow her, but he needed to know his injuries first. Looking down, he realized why he couldn't feel any pain. Her shot had only gone through his right hand, which was mostly numb, along with the rest of his right arm.

At least, I won't bleed to death, I think.

Partially reassured that the damage was minor, he leaned his head back against the wall. Trained to ignore minor injuries, Kael knew he could chase after Vire, but Kael already knew it was a lost cause.

Mako will not be happy with this report.

Frustrated by his failure, the rookie sighed. The other three clones were not due back until much later, meaning he needed to muster his strength which had suddenly left him, and he had to get to work.

Bandage my wound first.

Making this his priority, Kael walked over to the table. Thankfully, Crash had left some medical supplies behind, including some bandages and bacta. Painkillers were not needed, seeing as his arm was already going numb again. Using his left hand, Kael removed his right glove, which was on the hand the blaster bolt had struck and penetrated the, and threw it onto the table. He cleaned up the hand wound, which had stopped bleeding, and wrapped bandages around it before throwing all the medical supplies back into the container.

I should probably get back to work on that amplifier. If I can fix it then I will, at least, have one good report to give.

He looked over his shoulder to see it still lying on the floor. It had stopped sparking and smoking, so he carefully picked it up and yanked out the power coupling he had been trying to fix. It was useless. He threw it onto the table and searched for another. Another one was found inside his helmet, feeding wasted power to the trashed HUD system.

It's useless anyway.

He yanked the small cord out and dropped the helmet back onto the ground. The tiny cord was the length of his pinkie finger and had two knob-looking connectors on either end. He easily replaced the old power coupling with this new one and turned the amplifier on. It hummed and crackled as it tried to find a signal. Unfortunately, all that came through was static.

We will have to break through the Separatist jamming signal once we find a power cell powerful enough to support the long range on this.

He switched the device off and slid it back on the table. With nothing to do, he sat back and gazed out the window, wondering where Vire was. The truth was, as much as she perturbed him, he admired her skill.

She's probably long gone by now. Running to her cave.

Unsure what would happen next, Kael let himself relax even though he remained alert, and he awaited the other clone's arrival.

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"Sir, are you sure that leaving Kael to watch Vire was a good idea? He's injured and she is most likely as strong as him, if not stronger," Crash asked while Mako bent over to observe the thing Crash had found.

"I have faith in him. He might be new, but he is a clone," Mako answered, running his hand along length of the object. It was the top piece of an LAAT/i missile launcher chute. The metal was a brick red color and deeply embedded in the dirt like it was shoved there by a great force.

Crash watched him inspect the metal and answered with, "Yessir, find anything interesting?"

"This has been here no more than a few months. I'm guessing this is a piece of the ship Calso arrived in," the clone sergeant answered.

"Date matches," Calso said. "But I didn't arrive in a standard larty."

"So someone else came in this," said Crash.

Mako nodded, "Yes." This time, Calso got down to look at it.

"Mako, this is actually the outer shell of a fuel tank, the one belonging to a very modified Marauder ship. However, it's been painted to look like a larty missile chute" Thinking it could have been Vire's, Mako asked, "Bounty hunter ship?"

Calso shook his head, "The second ship I used, the escape ship."

"So this is a false lead."

"Sorry, Sir," said Crash.

"No apologies. You did your best. It just wasn't what we needed," Mako answered. Crash fell silent.

"Let's get back before anything drastic happens," Calso said, turning around to view the block of houses before them. Crash suddenly cried, "Sir!" Mako whirled around and saw Crash pointing towards the trees.

"See something strange?" asked Mako, turning back around.

"I thought I did. Must have been an animal." Crash lowered his hand. Puzzled he joined Mako and Calso as they prepared to leave.

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"Kael?" asked Mako, stepping into the dark room where he had left Kael and Vire. The trip back had taken longer than expected and it was now dark out.

From the back of the room came an answer and Mako saw a figure turn, helmet lights on, "Yessir."

"It was a false lead," Mako said, flipping on the rudimentary light system they had rigged as well a few days ago. The room was flooded with light, and Mako suddenly realized that Vire was gone.

"Sir--," began Kael.

Mako cut him off demanding, "Where is the prisoner?"

"She escaped. I decided not to go after her since by the time I regained my bearing she would have been too far gone," replied Kael removing his helmet. Crash, who had moved into the room noticed the bandage over Kael's right hand, which rested limply on the table.

"She shot you," he stated plainly.

Kael nodded. "She took my blaster as well."

"That lowlife sleemo," Mako spat.

"She didn't damage anything else, Sir," Kael reported.

Shaking his head, Mako said, "Doesn't matter, she did enough damage to you."

"I'll heal."

Calso, who had moved into the room, looked at the amplifier which Kael had been working on.

"Fixed the main coupling, I see," he said.

Kael nodded saying, "Yes, had to borrow one from my helmet, though."

Mako now took a seat on the bench. He was disappointed and angry to hear that Vire had succeeded in escape.

"Still need that other power cell?" asked Calso.

"Yes, without it the range doesn't reach far enough to contact the fleet," Kael replied. Calso pondered the thought a moment then shook his head.

"Don't have any on hand," he said. Kael set down the hydro spanner.

"If only I could get my hands on a droid, their power cells would work."

Calso laughed, "Bring down a droid intact enough to salvage the power cell, would be easier to steal their ship."

Mako sat up straight, "That's what we can do."

"Steal a Seppie ship?" asked Kael, thinking of how crazy that sounded with their numbers. The clone sergeant nodded.

"Calso was right. The only way you can get a power cell like that is out of a droid and they are too hard to keep intact. The most tactical option after that is stealing a droid ship."

"If that's the plan, then I'm all in," Calso stated.

"We would need a way to lure Grievous away from the ship," said Kael.

"Yes, because none of us can handle him," said Crash grimly.

"What about using Vire? If she keeps him busy, we won't have to worry about the lure not working," Kael said looking at Mako. He worried it might be too soon to mention here again. After all, she had just made herself look pretty bad with her escaping and injuring him.

"No, she would double cross us or throw a hydro spanner in our plans just out of revenge for arresting her, and just because it's not in her nature to be trusted."

"All due respect, Sir, but I think that she would do it."

"Why? We can't pay her, and you know that credits and blasters are the only languages bounty hunters speak," said Mako plainly, still sore about her escape.

Crash looked over, "Sir, revenge is also one of their motivators, and if Vire isn't actually a Separatist, depending on her encounters with our tinny friends, she may want revenge. After all, the droids did kidnap her."

Mako shook his head, "We can't know for sure, Separatists have been known to kidnap their own to throw off suspicion, it's not safe."

Kael looked directly at Mako and said, "Like I mentioned before, we could hire her."

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Gently Ventress put her ship down in the hangar of Dooku's droid ship. She climbed out and snapped at a droid to refuel her ship as she stalked off toward her master. Dooku stood only a few meters away, Boba Fett at his side as always. Ventress swore the boy never left her master's side.

"Asajj, I hear your mission went well," Dooku said in his calm voice, head held aloft.

"Yes, my master," she answered.

Dooku raised one eyebrow in question saying, "You wonder why I have brought you here?"

Ventress, knowing she could not escape Dooku's ability to probe her mind with the force answered truthfully, " Yes, my lord."

"I have a training exercise for you. There are some, people on the planet below--."

Ventress cut him off, "You wish me to terminate them?"

Calmly Dooku continued, his cold eyes seeming to burn into her soul as he said, "They are currently of use, but when that usefulness ends you will terminate them."

Ventress gave a small nod and breaking eye contact, hoping the move would shake off the cold feeling she got by looking into her master's eyes.

Boba, who was standing rigidly at Dooku's side, looked disdainfully at her before stating, "You are sending your assassin to kill four clones. Surely they are not worth it."

Coldly Dooku answered, "I am only sending Ventress on this errand as a simple training exercise, nothing more." "Clones, my lord. Surely the boy is right. There are more worthwhile missions I could be finishing," Ventress said, hating herself for agreeing with Fett's son.

"No, I have given you this mission and upon my word you will execute it," Dooku responded sharply. Ventress bowed her head and her master turned.

"Yes, master."

"Come now. There are things which I must show you." Obediently and spitefully Ventress followed her master as they set off across the hangar.

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Vire only felt relief once she had reached her own shelter and realized that the clone rookie, whom she had shot, was not following.

Must have at least knocked him out.

She did not feel regret for her actions. This was her life. Realizing that she still had his blaster, she tossed it down. She had not recovered her blasters and other weapons which Mako had taken, so she was glad she had held onto Kael's blaster.

Let them try and come here again.

Laughing, Vire collapsed onto a crate, looking lazily out the cave entrance. No one was coming through there uninvited without getting shot.

They think that being in the GAR makes them so powerful.

Feeling high on relief and pride, she grinned. The helmet hid every face she made, but Vire didn't care. There was no one to see anyway.

Just the way it should be.

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Late that evening, Mastro woke up from his unexpected nap. He scowled once he saw that the clones had completed their objective and rescued the pilot. He dusted himself off, finding that he had failed again. The comlink clipped to his belt beeped, and he found that it was Grievous signaling him. Ignoring the device, Mastro saw that they had, at least, left the speeder intact. He swung into the seat deciding it was time to return to Grievous' droid camp. The engine roared to life and Mastro angled the bike upward, speeding off towards his destination as fast as the bike would go.

It only took a matter of minutes for him to cover that distance and he was soon parked in the droid camp.

"You!" Grievous bellowed as he saw Mastro approaching. His clawed mechanical feet sank in the soft, marshy grass, and his voice was raspy and broken up by hacking.

"Yes, General," asked Ktar.

"I have deployed a squad of commandos to finish off that pesky bounty hunter woman. I want you to follow them. If they fail, you terminate her," Grievous ordered.

"Fine," said Ktar.

Turning around Grievous demanded, "Leave me."

Mastro, perturbed at the general's attitude, left but not without making his own decision about his new mission.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"She's in range. You may attack."

A-5 transmitted the message directly to A-3. Both droids readied for an attack and watched as Vire walked right underneath them while she went to collect something below. Immediately they sprang out of hiding and jumped for her. A-5 lunged for her neck as A-3 laid down covering fire. Vire turned quickly, hearing the whine of servo motors behind her. She grabbed A-5 by the arm and flipped it over her shoulder, then brought her foot down hard and snapped its neck. A-3 shifted positions and resumed firing, one bolt glanced off Vire's shoulder armor, and she spun around furiously. A-3 moved in closer, careful to keep shooting. Temporarily unbalanced, Vire reached out to steady herself against a nearby tree. A-3 saw a chance and dropped its blaster, leaping onto Vire. Before A-3 could put his arms around her neck Vire grappled the droid, flinging it off. A-3 recovered from the blow and sprang up, but Vire had already retrieved the droid's blaster and swung it up, letting the backend smash into the droid's metal head. Then a blaster bolt from behind hit Vire in the head. It glanced off her durasteel helmet leaving a blackened scorch mark. The blow knocked her off her feet, though. Footsteps behind her crunched the dry grass, and Vire lifted herself off the ground, only to be shoved back down by a hard boot.

"You're here to kill me," Vire said blankly.

"I was," said a voice above her.

Feeling ridiculed Vire sneered, "What, you had a change of heart?"

"Something like that," the voice said and the foot was lifted. Vire began to say something else and was abruptly cut off.

"Get up and leave." The voice ordered. Vire narrowed her eyes and got to her feet. She turned to see her adversary, but no one was there. Furious at being bettered, she stalked off.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Where are those infernal droids!" Grievous yelled to a patrol that had just come back.

"We don't know," said the simple minded B1 soldier droid, looking to the other droid beside it as though to confirm the message.

"I want you to go out and find them! Find out if they have completed their mission or not. If they have, tell them to report back. If not, shoot them," he ordered and pointed to the path that lead out of the camp. "Now go!" he roared and the B1's nodded nervously as they clanked off. "Why can't these droids do anything except be dumb! Dooku promised me the commando droids were supposed to be smarter than these useless machines!" he growled as he walked back to his ship. "They never do anything right and always mess things up," he added under his breath as he passed the sentries. He stormed to his quarters and contacted Dooku. "More of your useless droids failed. How do you expect me to fight these people if all you give me are walking scrap piles to command!" he hissed at Dooku, his yellow eyes lighting up with fury.

"General, those droids are not there to do everything. But don't worry, when the right time comes I will send you a worthy fighter. For now, I want you to use the droids to keep those clones and that bounty hunter on the edge, while Ktar completes his mission," Dooku said in a calm voice that intimidated Grievous even more.

"Yes, master," Grievous growled through his vocabulator as he cut the transmission. He stood up and flung his cape aside as he walked out to check on any sort of progress.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"Did Commander Hotshot come here with you, Calso?" asked Mako looking over at the ARC, who was gazing at the ceiling.

"No, Me and Vis just stopped by to say hello since we were in the area. We weren't sure if the Commander needed help, then General Reel contacted us. I can't tell you what about; however, I don't remember if we found her or not. All I can remember is me and that Vire woman running into lots of problems. All other details are classified," Calso answered without removing his gaze.

Mako blankly pointed out, "It's been three months, The Commander is dead, and we are stranded. I don't think the mission's secrecy is relevant anymore." Inside the clone sergeant was hoping Calso would reveal more, for he was intrigued to know that Calso had interacted with Vire before. Maybe it explained why Calso didn't seem too surprised by her actions.

"Maybe," was Calso's only reply.

"Why would General Reel stay behind if the mission was so important?"

"No one knew how long the mission would take, and we couldn't have our general disappearing for a year," Calso replied looking down at Mako.

Crash picked up the subject and said, "Does General Reel even know you're alive?"

"I can't be sure." Calso glanced at Kael as he continued, "It's highly improbable," he added.

Mako nodded, "What were you told would conclude your mission?"

"Finding Commander Hotshot and making sure she made contact with the General."

"What landed you here then?" Mako remembered the conversations that used to circulate about the Commander leaving with a bounty hunter promising to help take out a Separatist cell. There had been no mention of Nagem or the surrounding sector.

Calso decided that telling Mako wouldn't hurt anything, "The bounty hunter had taken Hotshot here for a meeting with someone. When I arrived though he double crossed her and her associate, Chase. I don't remember much of what happened, or what happened to Hotshot, or even how I met Vire. Later, when Vire and I tried to escape we tied the Bothan in the hold. He blew the detonators hidden in his cargo. We crashed."

"Why not just shoot you two on sight?" Crash asked.

Shrugging Calso replied, "Who knows? The Separatist leaders and loyal bounty hunters are as dumb as the droids they work with."

"It's what makes them Seps," Crash said with a dull tone.

"So, Sergeant Mako, come up with any brilliant ideas to get us off this dull rock?" questioned Calso, changing the subject.

"No, I can't make a plan that wouldn't require Vire, since we are a pretty small force in number," Mako replied.

"She might be our only choice," Crash said.

Making it clear he was not open to that option, Mako said, "She's more trouble than she's worth."

"Sir, we should, at least, consider the option. Maybe with the reward of escape, she can be persuaded into helpfulness," said Kael from the floor where he sat.

Kindly Calso said, "Kael has a point, Mako."

"No, I refuse to hire her," Mako said practically spitting the words out.

"Sir! She's not Brun. You can't convict her of something another person did," Kael cried, frustrated that Mako still wouldn't listen to reason.

"She's done enough on her own! She killed the Commander, captured Crash, attempted to kill us and shot you! Don't you think that's enough!" yelled Mako in response, beginning a heated argument. He couldn't understand how Kael still didn't despise the woman who had killed one of their own, another clone. Not to mention all the other despicable things she had done to them since they crashed.

Kael started as well, "She can still be used! And if you don't use the advantages around you, aren't you ignoring your job as the sergeant to lead us!"

"No! And don't you dare question my authority!" Mako began feeling fury rise in his throat. Kael, furious that Mako wouldn't listen, threw himself on the older clone, and the two quickly became engaged in a fist fight, both yelling at the other.

"Shut up, both of you!" shouted Calso, dragging Kael off Mako and putting distance between the two men.

"Calso--," Mako began, a strained tone in his voice as he calmed himself down.

Calso, taking control of the situation, silenced him and ordered, "Both of you just be quiet. Clearly, being stranded has made tempers rise a bit, especially after dealing with problem after problem, but you of all people Mako should be calmer than this."

Now cooled off some, Mako nodded and Kael relaxed. Mako consented first, "Fine." "

Kael whispered, "Yessir."

A stern look on his face, Calso nodded and released Kael, who returned to his seat on the ground.

"Now we will resolve this in an orderly fashion. I get that Vire may not be anybody's favorite choice here but we may need her," Calso told them all. Both men nodded. Then they began talking things over.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Separatist scum thinks he can better me.

Vire fumed to herself as she dug around in the crates stacked in the dark parts of the cave. The second moon was appearing above the horizon, and she was still angry with Mastro for attacking her.

One day I will shoot him through his scaly head.

She leaned back on the rugged wall behind her. There were so many boxes and not one contained another blaster, all she had was the one taken from Kael and now that one was gone. Earlier that night she had felt some regret for her actions such as kidnapping Crash and shooting at Kael. She had begun to think about what they would say should she need their help. With all she had done, they had no reason not to help her. And for some reason, she felt a strange remorse for hurting them. Either way, she pretended not to care. Regret might be a sign of weakness, and she had to be anything but weak. She sighed, deciding it was time to give up the subject. Turning, she consulted the wall of boxes again.

Where in the stars did all of these come from? None of them have anything belonging to me in them.

A small rodent scurried past her.

Someone must have left them here.

She pondered who it might have been. The small creature wove it's way up the boxes and she stopped, watching it intensely.

How long have I been here?

The thought popped into her head at the same time she noticed the tally marks gouged onto the wall. Vire walked over and ran her hand over the gouges, counting them in her mind.

Two standard months worth.

Guessing she was the person who had made them, she estimated that she had been here a little over two standard months.

Feels like years.

A sudden crashing sound distracted her and Vire turned quickly away from the wall to see what had happened now. Silhouetted by the moonlight from the cave's entrance, was a dark orb. It had run into one side of the boxes and it's red light was blinking rapidly. Vire walked over to the object just as it dropped, with another loud clang, onto the floor. Picking it up she turned the orb over and saw that it was a Separatist remote probe, feeding all its information back to the Separatist ship. First Vire deactivated it, finding a small button on the underside which powered down the probe and shut off its transmissions. Then she sat down, turning the device over in her hands. The thought of giving its power cell and transmitting device to Kael crossed her mind, but hard feelings choked it away as soon as she thought about it. With this resolution the droid was useless to her, so she walked back to the boxes and stuffed it inside of one. Then she resumed pacing around, forgetting all about the probe.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"These droids can't do anything right!" Grievous grumbled over his comlink to Ventress. The white-skinned, bald assassin was listening to the droid general rant and rave about how he hated the simple-minded battle droids he had to work with.

"I'm sorry, my dear. But after all, you know they are only droids. And anyone knows that droids can't do anything right," she said sweetly, but her voice had an edge to it. Dooku had contacted Grievous explaining that Ventress would dispose of the clones and woman once the hired hand had the information his ally needed.

"Be quiet woman!" he retorted his anger rekindled.

"Oh I will, and let your silly plan ensue," she said and then added, "Now I must go. See you later my good general." She shut off the comlink.

"No! You can't just go like that!" he yelled and threw the comlink forcibly to the ground as it died, one heavy metal claw-like, foot crushing the tiny object as he exited furiously.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Much later, after kinder conversations ensued, Crash asked, "Sir, what are we going to do about the other bounty hunter? We will need to keep him away as well."

"If we can, make sure he is away from the droid camp we don't have to worry about him," Mako replied briefly.

"Yessir," Crash returned.

"So, when are we going to figure out a plan without you and Kael beating each other to a pulp?" Calso inquired with a bit of sour humor.

"When they agree on Vire," Crash explained for Mako.

"Don't mention her," Mako ordered darkly.

Calso cut in, "Mako, Crash has a point. If we cannot come to an agreement then nothing will get done."

"I am the sergeant here. If I give an order then it shouldn't be questioned. That's the way things were designed," Mako said.

"Well, getting out of here alive relies on us agreeing. Not your superiority," Calso reminded.

Mako clenched his teeth and muttered, "If we are putting her in the plan then she has to prove she is trustworthy."

"Give her a chance," Calso stated.

"Fine." Calso looked pleased with the verdict, even though Mako clearly disagreed. Crash noted this and held back the comment he had planned to interject. Now seemed like a bad time for jokes, or humor of any sort. The silence that ensued filled the space like a black hole and all four of them could feel the tension pulling like taut duracord. No one said a word.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Ktar, who had purposely gone against Grievous's orders, now wandered the forest. He still remembered the war that the Rast had waged against the Swar. The lizard-like desert species had grown tired of the more ape-like and civilized species oppressing them. The Rast were treated like mere animals or like a species with no sentiment. The Swar had killed them like a krayt dragon does its prey, ruthlessly. The Rast had retaliated and driven the Swar from their homes, away from their cities. Ktar stopped, seeing a dark form leap through the air above him. No, the Swar had not been destroyed as many believed, only driven out. They now inhabited the trees and forests. Their monkey-like traits made the new habitat a natural home. Ktar grinned, his sharp lizard teeth glinting. The Swar had gotten what they deserved. Now they hid, non-sentients just like the Rast had been considered. A fitting revenge.


	13. 12

It was late into the night, and the clones were still working on a plan.

"Mako, were there any other factors that might make stealing that droid ship difficult?" Calso inquired. 

"The commando droids, Grievous had three with him. We took one down in Vire's cave, but the other two are still functioning as far as I know," Mako replied. 

With an air of pride, Calso said, "Leave the commandos to me." 

No one commented in response. Crash glanced at the doorway thinking he had heard someone step in. 

"We do not know of any other special weapons or droids Grievous may have brought. Our only experiences with the Seps have been brief," Mako continued.

"Sir, what if there are still droid ships in orbit?" Kael asked.

Mako realized he hadn't considered the fact, but he still answered, "The Separatist ships will have weapons, but Crash is a good pilot, despite his name."

"Thanks," said the grateful pilot, a touch of humor in his tone.

"So is that how you ended up here? His exceptional piloting skills," questioned Calso jokingly.

"No, it was a lucky droid," Mako said bluntly.

Gravely Calso replied, "I see." 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

The next afternoon Mastro Ktar had just entered the droid camp when he noticed that something was different. There were no droid patrols, and another ship rested next to the droid landing ship. It was sleek and smooth with frail wings folded in. The bubble-like port reflected the glare off Nagem's three suns with a blinding intensity. 

The General has a visitor.

Pondering who could be inside with the droid general, Ktar walked slowly across the marsh. The air was silent. Not one droid was heard. Only the infectious parasites buzzing around moved. Ktar reached the lowered belly hatch of the droid landing ship. He silently strode up it, curiosity growing with each step. 

"I will not be called some mindless droid!" 

Grievous's bellowing protests rang through the air, echoing off the durasteel walls.

"I called you nothing of the sort, my dear general," a smooth, mocking voice reminded.

"You wench! Get out of my ship! These are my droids and The Count has no right to interfere with my commanding them!"

"I'll certainly convey that to my master." 

Mastro wanted to laugh at the pair. Clearly, The Count had sent Asajj Ventress down here to give orders that the good general refused to obey. Hearing the swish of shimmersilk, Ktar realized that Asajj was leaving, so he backed off, not wanting to look like an eavesdropper. She rounded the corner, her pale lips drawn in a malicious frown and her bald scalp shining in the hall light. As though he didn't exist, she brushed past him and continued on her way. Ktar, who had no desire to interrupt the heated conversation, entered the room she had just left. Grievous was still pacing and fuming as Mastro made his entrance. The bounty hunter leaned on the door post and looked casually in the general's direction.

"Your droids failed."

"Ktar," hissed Grievous. "I have a new objective for you. Ignore whatever orders you may have received concerning the clones. I want them all dead."

The droid general spat out the words with such intensity that it was clear to Mastro he was perturbed and furious.

Ktar stood up straight and replied, "I will do so, but I expect more payment. This was not on the original agenda."

Yellow eyes glimmering with rage, Grievous hastily said, "Fine."

With the deal made Ktar began to leave.

"Ktar, don't come back until they are dead." 

The warning hung in the air like an unpleasant feeling, but Mastro ignored it. He was focused on completing the mission so as to collect his extra reward. He had no doubts that this was not an order from the Count.

No reason I can't kill them after gaining the Count's information.

The thought of doing both and gaining even more credits made him grin hungrily. The discussion had only taken a few minutes, but once he was outside again, Mastro noticed that Ventress had made a quick departure. Droid patrols had resumed and the whirrs and clanks filled the open air once more. Ktar found his speeder and began to fly out of the camp. However, on his way out a droid patrol stopped him.

"Where are you going bounty hunter?" demanded the droid in a shrill voice. Not feeling patient, Mastro just shot the blasted thing and left. Not one droid paid attention to him as they just kept going, the junked droid left smoking on the ground. 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

Mastro planned his attack as he sped high above the forest surrounding the deserted city. He had decided it would be best to attack them as a group. He would be at a disadvantage since they would outnumber him, but if he planned carefully then all should go well. He just needed to draw them away from their place of refuge. 

Explosions would not work, droids are the only ones dumb enough to be distracted by that. 

He racked his brain for some possible lure. Nothing seemed plausible enough.

I will have to draw them out myself.

This meant Mastro would be going straight to their doorstep, so he needed to be prepared. Jerking the speeder in a tight circle, he gunned it, making a beeline for the city.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Vire had seen Mastro speeding overhead and wondered what he was doing back here. 

Probably planning to kidnap me again.

She felt angry that he would even attempt such a move again. Her eyes burned and she felt a strong urge to take revenge, but Vire remembered that every time she had tried so far she had gotten into more trouble than before.

This time will be different. He doesn't know I'm coming.

Set on this, she tried to remember which direction he was heading.

The city.

Snatching up a blaster she had found the night before, she clipped it to her belt. Her helmet, which had been removed as soon as she had returned to the cave, was put back on. As she slid it over her head, lights inside winked on, and for a minute she stood there as it re-downloaded and checked every piece of data loaded into its memory. It scanned her surroundings giving all the statistics and scan results before everything finally sorted itself out, and she had a clear view. She slowly turned to the cave entrance, feeling pleased at the thought of revenge. 

He won't escape this time.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Inside the clones were silent as Calso and Mako discussed Vire. No one knew that Mastro was coming, but it wouldn't be long before he revealed himself.

"I have every reason not to trust her," Mako said forcibly.

"I understand, but you have to at least consider her for the plan," said Calso. 

Crash looked up from his project of fixing Kael's helmet and shook his head, "Didn't you already agree to let her prove herself, and then we go from there?"

"When is she going to prove herself, let alone interact with us again, without trying to kill us all," snapped Mako.

"Your pilot has a point-," Calso began to agree with Crash but was cut off by a thunderous noise.

"Speeder bike," Mako muttered.

Crash also muttered to himself, "Ktar."

Calso had bolted up at the racket and was heading for the door when Crash yelled, "Stop!" 

Calso paused and turned to Crash.

"That's the bounty hunter who captured me. He owns the speeder bike," continued the pilot.

"What is he doing here?" questioned Mako.

"I don't know."

Kael cut in, "What if he is here to take us all prisoner, or kill us?"

"It's likely," answered Mako. Calso had started for the door again and saw the lizard man hovering barely above the ground on the powerful bike, which thrummed noisily beneath him. Mastro, seeing Calso, revved the bike and shot off, heading for the forest.

"Mako, he's leaving," Calso called. Mako started up.

"We need to catch up with him."

Kael looked confused asking, "Why?"

"Obviously he's leading us into a trap."

Kael did not seem to understand as he continued, "If you know it's a trap why follow him into it."

"Traps can be set for one person, but a misfire can happen very easily, Kael," Mako answered. Calso nodded in agreement with Mako's words. Crash was already standing and Kael sprang to his feet as well, ready for the chase.

"Yessir."

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Kael be quiet!" Mako called over his helmet's internal comalink glancing at where the other clone was hiding. The clones were spaced even distances around where Mastro had landed the bike. The bounty hunter stood in the middle as though he was waiting for someone to arrive.

"What is he waiting on?" Kael inquired, quieter this time.

"Most likely us, so be ready for anything," ordered Mako. Kael nodded and shifted his gaze slightly to glance into the trees above him. He thought he detected movement, but assumed it was his eyes playing tricks on him when nothing more moved. In the clearing Mastro looked impatient, tapping his foot and letting his long tongue run across his scaly lips. Kael was about to say something when the alien spun around sending a volley of blaster bolts in Kael's direction. 

Jumping aside he heard Mako shout, "Attack!" 

Leaping out of hiding, Crash and Calso joined the fight, blasters blazing. Kael, who was using Mako's DC-15-leaving the clone sergeant with his DH-17 pistols-regained his position and jumped in as well. Mastro was ducking blaster fire and returning it as he tried to fend off the clones. Kael saw the alien bounty hunter reach for something on the speeder bike, and suddenly the bike's laser cannons added to the enemy fire. There were no droids and the clones well outnumbered Mastro, but he was holding his own. Kael, knowing his aim was too sloppy to contribute to the fire fight much, did his best to sneak around behind Mastro. His intention was to either shut down the speeder bike or blast it. Unfortunately Mastro saw him and whipped around, tackling the rookie. Kael went down hard, repressing a cry as sharp pain shot through his right arm. The blaster flew out of Kael's grip as Mastro hauled him to his feet. Struggling against the bounty hunter's iron grip, Kael managed to drag Mastro into a less defensive position. The bounty hunter tightened his grip and shoved his blaster against Kael's helmeted head. All blaster fire ceased. Thinking it was all over Kael was shocked when blaster fire lanced out of nowhere, hitting the bounty hunter in the shoulder and knocking him away from Kael. 

"What in the stars-," he stuttered. Vire appeared at the edge of his vision, and shot Mastro as the alien bounty hunter stumbled toward his speeder bike.

"What are you doing here?" Kael questioned, staggering toward her. He was almost positive he hadn't been shot, but his arm was on fire with pain again.

"Mastro," was the only answer she gave.

"And why in the stars did you save me?" Kael continued.

"It wasn't intentional, but you were in the way of my kill," Vire said with a stoic tone.

Bluntly Kael said, "Well thanks." 

"Don't mention it." 

Vire began to walk off. Kael stopped her.

"One last thing."

As though the whole thing bored her Vire said, "What?"

"We want to hire you."

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Crash looked over at Calso. Kael had broken the news to Vire about the escape plan. 

"I didn't think she would ask to leave with us," commented Calso.

"I'm surprised you didn't see it coming," Crash told him.

Calso answered with, "Yeah." 

The two of them were watching as Mako grudgingly explained to Vire what he wanted her to do.

"I understand what you want me to do. I'm supposed to lure Grievous away from his tiny droid camp. What I'm trying to make you understand is that I'm not doing it unless I'm guaranteed a spot on that ship!" Vire explained heatedly her conditions for helping them.

Consenting unwillingly, Mako shouted, "Fine! You can leave with us!"

"Sir, if she's distracting Grievous how are we going to get her onboard the ship without him following?" Kael inquired crossing his arms and shifting his stance.

Mako didn't answer or even look at Kael as he furiously whispered, "We are going to need a new plan." 

Crash strained to hear him and saw how stressed the clone sergeant was. Even with his helmet hiding his face, Mako was clearly tense.

"Come with us," he said. Vire hesitated, as though she was remembering the last time she went with them. Mako just turned and walked away. After a few moments she joined him, the two walking side by side like old friends as they lead the others back to the city.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Grievous did not hear from Mastro for some time and began to worry that the bounty hunter had disobeyed orders.

"2-B, get in here!" bellowed Grievous. A droid came clanking noisily into the room, answering the call.

"Yes, General?"

"Prepare my speeder. I wish to check on Ktar's progress," the droid general ordered pointing a long claw-like finger out the door.

In a high, tinny voice the droid answered, "Yes, General," before clanking out of the room. Following his mindless minion, Grievous exited the ship, hunching down as he walked with hands clasped behind him back. Outside he squinted in the brilliant light and saw 2-B bringing the bike around. The massive machine made the droid look tiny.

"Get back to your patrol!" Grievous snapped.

The droid jumped before saying, "Yes, General," and walking off.

"Mindless junk," muttered the general as he seated his own massive bulk on the bike. It dropped a few inches before he turned it on, the repulsor engines roaring to life. With a jerk of his right hand and a slight change to a more vertical angle, Grievous sped off into the skies, leaving the safety of his camp. Below him the droids grew tiny until they blended into the green mass making up the canyon floor. He zoomed over the canyon walls and over the forest until he saw a speeder bike resting in a clearing. Heading downward toward the obvious marker, Grievous neared the previous battle ground. Parking his bike, but not seeing Mastro, Grievous mumbled in a croaking voice, "Where is that scum?" He swung onto the ground and brushed back the tattered cape that hung over one shoulder. He turned to survey the area, gaining his answer.

"A fitting end," he said, seeing Mastro's limp body lying only inches from the bounty hunter's speeder. He had obviously failed and been killed by his enemies. "Seems I will need to let the assassin do her job, or do it myself," he growled. The carnage was minimum but disgusted Grievous anyway, not because of the gore, but because he was tired of failure. His droid-like warrior persona found no room for it. "If she fails, I will handle things." With that he got back onto the speeder and returned to his camp. 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

"Sir, how are we going to fit this into the existing plan?" questioned Crash as they went over the original escape plan. "We are not. We're making a new one," Mako answered, observing the map projector Kael had made out of the old amplifier using the map feed from Mako's helmet.

"You don't need me to distract Grievous. There is another option," Vire put in, hoping her contribution would help.

Sharply Mako reported, "And what would that be?"

"Ktar's speeder bike."

"What about it?"

"It's a modified bike. There is an autopilot setting that would allow us to fly it over the camp without anyone actually on the bike. It's an upgrade most bounty hunters would use so they can either remotely fly the bike to them or use a designated course to call the bike when needed," explained Vire.

"What would be the use of the upgrade if we don't have the caller for it," said Crash, voicing what the rest of them were thinking.

"The caller is on Mastro's arm, assuming his body is where we left it. We can retrieve it and set new coordinates."

"The plan is a good option," said Mako grudgingly as he crossed his arms looking up from the map.

"Where could we fly the bike?" inquired Crash.

Mako answered this time, "We send it as far west as possible," he pointed to a point on the map as he spoke, "Grievous won't follow it all the way, but the longer he follows it the longer we have to escape."

"Sir, I can input the coordinates," said Kael. 

Mako gave a short nod, "Good."

Now Calso spoke up, "Mako, you mentioned commando droids, do they stay within the camp?"

Vire cut in before Mako could, "No, I destroyed two a couple days ago."

"We destroyed the third in your cave when they abducted Kael," Mako added.

Calso acknowledged the information with a nod, "So, the commandos are no more."

"Sir, how many entrances are there into the droid camp," asked Kael.

This got Mako back onto track about breaching the droid camp and he said, "There are two, allowing us to come in from different points," he gestured to the opening on the map, "Distracting the droids won't do much good, so we would be better off just charging in," Mako added. 

"We could rappel down the surrounding walls and take the droids by surprise," Calso put in, motioning to the three rock walls running around the camp's perimeter.

"Kael can't climb up them. His arm is injured" Crash mentioned.

Kael spoke up, "Sir, Vire and I could charge the camp providing cover for you, Crash, and Calso." 

"Can you fire straight with your left arm," Mako questioned.

"I'm not sure, but I'll have Vire with me."

"I don't trust her to protect you. Calso, you and Crash will rappel down the east wall behind the ship. Calso, protect Crash with your life. He's our only pilot. I'll join Kael and Vire and keep an eye on Vire in case she has a change of heart," Mako said decisively. Vire shrugged. 

"I'm in as long as you return my weapons," she answered. 

Mako turned off the map projector and put his helmet back on, "Agreed."

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

After returning to the camp, Grievous had ordered two droids to retrieve Mastro's body just in case the clones returned to take any weapons the bounty hunter might have.

"Have you removed all weaponry and transmitters?" he asked as the droid came in for a report.

"Yes, General," said to first droid.

"Fine, throw the body in with the supplies returning to the flag ship."

"Yes, General."

The droids walked out.

"I'm wasting time. Mastro failed his mission and got no information for Dooku. We should be leaving," Grievous murmured as he paced the small room he had occupied. It was to the back of the ship about one corridor from the belly hatch and cargo hold, making any noise he emitted amplified in the cargo hold. Suddenly the transmitter beeped. Grievous rushed over to activate it, letting Dooku's blue holographic form appear. The Count had a proud and commanding air about him, even as a hologram. 

Bowing on one knee, Grievous asked. "What is it you wish, Count?"

"I wish to know what has become of Mastro Ktar, the bounty hunter employed by my ally," demanded Dooku as Ventress appeared at his side, a dark cloak wrapped around her. 

Grievous rose, "He failed and was shot down by the very clones you ordered be kept alive."

"Are you blaming me for the bounty hunter's own failure?" inquired the Count dangerously.

"No, Count."

"Good, because I will not tolerate accusations," Dooku warned. Grievous saw Ventress smile at the Count's side, the shadows making her teeth look like knives glinting in the sun.

"Yes, Count."

Grievous felt his anger flare up, but he contained it.

After a minute or two of awkward silence, Dooku continued, "General, I will be sending my loyal apprentice down soon to continue the interrogations. You will remain on the planet to assist her in any way you can."

Snarling, Grievous replied, "Yes, Count." 

At Dooku's side Ventress smirked.

"That is all, General." Dooku cut the transmission leaving the room silent again. Filled with rage, Grievous hissed furiously and stalked out of the ship.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"I still don't trust that woman," Mako told Calso, after Vire had left. Kael and Crash had also gone and were supposed to be picking up the remote from Mastro's armor. Kael had been instructed to change the destination to the new coordinates as soon as they found it.

"You shouldn't, but we need her. She is key to the plan," Calso replied. 

"Not anymore, once she told us about the bike's modifications, she pulled herself from the equation. We could cut her out and not suffer any loss," retorted Mako, who hated the idea of bringing Vire along. 

Calso shook his head, "She might be useful later on, and we gave her our word she could go." 

"If you say so," consented Mako. He picked up the blasters, holstering one and handing the other to Calso. 

The ARC took it.

"Did she say what she was going back for?" Mako finally inquired.

"No, she just said she was coming back." 

The clone sergeant sighed. He couldn't keep track of her. 

"Fine, get Crash and Kael ready."

Calso paused and said, "Mako, it's late. Might we consider doing this tomorrow?"

"No, we need to get out before the Separatists have any time to plan a retaliation," Mako ordered. He picked up Hotshot's helmet, which was still under the table, where he had left it the day they brought it back. 

He clipped it to his belt and looked up ordering, "Now."

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Sir, the bounty hunter's body, it's gone," called Kael breathlessly, as he and Crash ran up the pathway to meet Mako and Calso at the city gates. Mako was waiting with the ARC for a verdict back from the rookie and pilot as to wether or not they had acquired the ëxtra feature"Vire had made them aware of.

"What do you mean it's gone? Was the speeder still there?" inquired Calso before Mako could answer.

Kael nodded, "Yessir."

"Grievous must have taken it," concluded Mako.

"What use does he have of a body, Sir?" 

"None," replied Calso.

"It's a tactical move to take the body. that way we have no access to the weaponry or technology embedded in the armor," Mako added. 

Kael sounded worried as he asked, "What are we going to do about it?"

"Can you make one?" questioned Mako.

"I would need to get back to the shelter and see the amplifier I made. By reverting it back to a transmitter and making it short range, I can slave it to the bike's frequency and call the bike to whatever coordinates we input, Sir." Kael sounded secure in the plan so Mako nodded.


	14. 13

As soon as they had reentered their previous shelter, Kael ran forward dropping his blaster onto the table. With every indication of urgency, he snatched up the old amplifier and began changing controls since a couple of days ago it had been reverted into a projector by turning off the transmitting antenna Kael had embedded into the circular base when they needed it to project data stored in Mako's helmet. He now switched the transmitter back on and adjusted the control to only short range.

"I need the frequency and channel of the bike," he said, looking up at Crash, who had memorized it so that they could edit the remotes coordinates.

"Frequency and scrambled code 563219," said Crash.

Kael looked down and muttered, "Thanks." 

Working furiously, he shifted it to the right frequency then began searching for something.

"We need to change the bike's default coordinates, I can't change them from here."

"Grab the transmitter and we'll get out of here," Mako ordered, picking up Kael's blaster. Kael grabbed the device with his left arm and followed the others out the door. 

 

It only took ten minutes to reach the previous battle ground since Mako had them all moving at a fast pace. Instantly, Kael turned on the speeder bike's systems, searching through the bike's settings looking for what he needed. The second sun was sinking below the horizon, night was falling quickly.

"Here," the rookie muttered. Mako watched intently as the rookie input the new coordinates. 

"There, Sir, the new destination has been set. The transmitter is on the same frequency as the bike, and, when I tap connect, the bike will head for those coordinates," said Kael as he shoved the transmitter into Crash's pack. 

The sergeant nodded and replied, "Good work." 

"Sir, we still need Vire," commented Crash. 

"I know, we will get her," Mako said, a little annoyed.

Crash hastily replied,"Yessir." 

"I thought I heard you talking about me." Vire emerged from the shadows holding one blaster, the other two holstered at her side. 

"Glad to see you made it. We were about to go pick you up," growled Mako as she stalked closer. Something about her made him feel on edge, like he wasn't in charge.

"Sir, the suns are setting and we're losing daylight," stated Crash, trying to break the tension. 

Mako turned and commanded, "Fine, we'd better get going then." 

Calso checked his blaster, as did Crash, and Kael got his back from Mako. Vire just stood aside and watched, but she didn't look relaxed. Every muscle was taut and her movement was tight.

"Yes, lets get going," she said quietly. 

"Move out!" ordered Mako. The clones filed past him with Vire following closely behind. He shot a wary glance at her, but she took no notice and just kept walking.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Sir, there are bound to be Separatist ships in orbit. Are you sure they won't notice if we're flying one of their ships?" Crash asked in a soft voice. Mako turned slightly to look at the pilot through his visor.

"They won't notice as long as you fly slow enough to be a tinny pilot," Mako answered. His voice was the low commanding tone he used for giving orders.

"I'll do my best," Crash replied. Mako fell silent, listening. Around him he heard the soft sounds of the other's breathing into helmet comms, even Vire, who had tuned into their private channel for the sake of necessity. 

Kael's never been in battle before. I hope he lives through this one to see another.

That was the first thing that pushed its way into Mako's mind as he surveyed the rookie trudging alongside the bounty hunter. This sparked a new thought.

Had to bring her along. We would have been better off just leaving before she could catch up. The scum.

Vire looked up at Mako, almost as though she had read his thoughts and was frowning behind that helmet of hers.

Maybe we should lose her now, spare us the dead weight. 

He saw her look back down and shift her grip on the blaster she held.

Maybe. 

He knew she was a superb fighter and had excellent aim from the way she had shot Mastro without hitting Kael.

First wrong move she makes I'm blasting her. 

Satisfied with the resolution, he returned his gaze forward. Looking forward to the battle.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Count Dooku had sent a tactical droid.

"What are you doing here!" spat Grievous as soon as he saw the droid exit Ventress' ship.

"Sir, I am tactical droid 578, I will assist you in the apprehension of the clones, whom my master wishes to interrogate. I will serve you until Commander Ventress is able to join you." 

The droid's oddly calm and gravelly voice made Grievous boil over with rage. The Count didn't trust him to take care of three clones. 

"Get back on that ship you walking pile of junk!" roared Grievous, swatting at the droid.

The droid looked offended, "I'm afraid you miscompute. I am here to assist you, no matter your opinion." 

"Rrraaaggggh!" 

Grievous attacked the droid, decapitating it.

As the metal head rolled across the marshy ground it cried, "Miscompute, miscompute, mis—." 

Satisfied, Grievous stalked away as Ventress' ship took off again and shot toward the sky.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Later on that day.

"General! Count Dooku is making contact!" called a B1, almost tripping over its own spindly mechanical legs as it rushed toward Grievous. Grievous moaned internally as the droid neared him. The B1's were useless pieces of metal that ran around his camp doing nothing.

"Fine, I'm coming!" yelled Grievous. He stalked forward, swatting aside the droid with a metal hand. The ship only lay meters ahead, and he entered it hastily, not wanting to miss the Counts message. Another droid had just activated the transmitter when Grievous entered and he quickly shooed the droid out of the room.

"General," came Dooku's voice, his holographic form following.

"Count," Grievous said humbly, kneeling as before.

"How has the tactical droid progressed? Well I hope," questioned Dooku, his tone making the question more like a command.

"Unfortunately the droid failed as soon as it came in contact with the, marshy ground. I think the heat and moisture were too much for its, delicate, machinery," Grievous lied, keeping a humble tone.

"Ah, I see. I will have to replace it then with a more hardy model," Dooku replied, making clear the fact he didn't believe Grievous.

"Thank you, Master," sneered Grievous, trying to hide his rage. "It will be welcomed."

Dooku smiled triumphantly, "Good, once I have your new advisor in place I will contact you and explain my plans." 

Grievous bowed his head in consent, hiding his yellow eyes, which blazed with fury and hate.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"When are we going to get there," muttered Vire, making an annoyed click with her teeth, reminding Mako of how Commander Hotshot used to make the same noise whenever she was perturbed or impatient. They had been walking for an hour, and still had not reached the outlook.

"Do you have something to say Vire?" questioned Mako, hearing her muttering to herself.

"Just wondering when we are gonna get there. I didn't think the outlook was this far away," she answered blankly.

Mako continued walking, and without looking at her, replied, "It's not. We have some business to conclude before leaving."

"What is that?" she questioned.

"It's classified," said Mako pointedly, ending the conversation.

"Interesting," Vire mused and picked up her pace.

From behind him, Kael, who had his helmet off and clipped to his belt, moved up some to walk beside Mako as he asked, "Sir, what are we doing?" 

"Wait," answered Mako, knowing that Vire would be able to hear his response over the comm they were all tuned into.

"Yessir."

"Good man," replied Mako. 

Kael continued to walk silently by his side, and Mako saw that Kael was once again favoring his right arm, holding it with his left. His decee was holstered alongside his helmet so that his left hand was free.

"When we get back to Kamino I'll have Slicer look at that," Mako said.

Kael nodded then answered, sounding almost unsure about the name, but said, "Thank you, Sir." Then both fell silent.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

When they reached the new destination, Kael finally understood what unfinished business Mako had meant. They had returned to Vire's shelter, the cave in which she had kept all the things belonging to her.

"What are we doing here! You have no right doing anything here!" Vire cried once she saw where they were.

"We have every right to claim what is ours," Mako replied coldly, motioning to Calso to open each crate. "Report your findings to me, " he added.

"Yessir," Calso answered, pulling down the first crate.

"No, you can't do this!" 

Vire's voice reached such a high pitch Mako's head hurt. She was getting riled up and very angry.

Harshly, Mako hushed her with, "Stand aside, this is not your business." 

Furious, Vire stood rigid and tense, making another clicking noise with her teeth.

"Sir, I found Chase's and Vis's armor in here. The rest are empty," reported Calso, holding up the two men's helmets. He glanced back a moment, for he had also found the Separatist probe, but for Vire's sake felt it necessary to keep its existence from Mako. Despite all Mako accused her of, Calso didn't see Vire as the Separatist type, and he didn't want to add that to the list of accusations Mako was making.

As if to prove his point, Mako spun around and icily accused Vire, "So, you killed them as well." 

"No! I don't even know them!" Vire screeched, moving in preparation to attack him. Mako motioned for Kael to restrain her and narrowed his eyes, removing his helmet.

"Those men were good colleagues of Calso and I. You gunned them down because that's what you're paid to do." 

Mako's tone was icy and his eyes burned with fire as he said these words. Kael felt the malice that Mako directed towards Vire.

"Believe what you want. I did nothing of the sort," Vire stated, her voice once more calm and professional, although distorted by the helmet's vocabulator.

"I will," Mako said.

"Sir, now that we have confirmed this information are we moving on to the mission?" inquired Crash, helping replace the crates.

"Yes." 

"Are you sure you still want to take her with us?"

"No, I'd rather shoot her now and be done," Mako replied truthfully.

"We are leaving, Mako, and taking her with us, now," Calso ordered. 

Mako made no reply to Calso's order, only turned to Kael saying, "Release her." 

Vire jerked away from Kael's grip and Mako walked past her motioning for everyone to follow him. 

 

It only took fifteen more standard time parts to reach the outlook, time parts that were spent in a tense quiet while everyone calmed down and put that last short episode out of their minds. At the outlook the air felt heavy and moist, clouds beginning to gather as the third sun descended toward the horizon. 

"Is everyone clear on the attack plan?" inquired Mako, making sure everybody was prepared. He glanced warily at Vire and she nodded, then fingered the blaster clipped to her leather belt. Despite the fact she had joined their team she still wore her own outfit, from the ever present helmet to the vest. 

In unison, including Vire, they said, "Yessir!"

"Then lets get down there and scrap those tinnies," ordered Mako. "Crash, Calso, prepare ascension cables." 

"Yessir," they said, and moved toward the drop off pulling out ascension cable to secure.

"Kael, you and I go down last, Calso first," Mako said, watching the two men secure the lines. 

"Yessir."

"Vire, you will stay close to us, and, I warn you, any wrong move and I will personally shoot you on the spot," Mako sharply commanded emphasizing his last few words. "Any other questions?" 

Kael, Crash and Calso all said, "No, Sir." 

Vire just watched, like she was overseeing this attack, not Mako. The clone sergeant ignored it and turned. Sharply, Mako waved two fingers in a forward motion. 

"Offensive formation once we are on the ground," a round of nod's acknowledge the order. Looking down, Mako ordered all four, "Move out!"

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"I will not tolerate being advised by some simple minded machine! No droid can match my intellect!" Grievous ranted. Dooku was sending another infernal tactical droid to his assistance, and Grievous would surely be decommissioned if he destroyed this one. 

I must somehow prove I am worthy of the Count's trust.

He began pacing the room, deep in thought.

I will bring Dooku the information his ally wants. I will personally interrogate those clones and find out every little secret they know.

A delighted look crossed Grievous's eyes and they lit up.

No one will prove that I am a fool. No one.

He felt a dark pleasure gripping his mind. Nothing would stop him now. Content with his resolution, Grievous paraded out and into the camp, just in time to see Mastro Ktar's bike flying over head.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"This is where we split. Calso, Crash, you know the way. Kael, Vire, with me," Mako ordered upon arrival of the last intersection.

"Yessir!" the clones replied. Calso and Crash kept low and headed off to the left, making their way down the unfamiliar passage.

"Kael, check you blaster," Mako said in a hushed tone. The rookie, who had his blaster ready and in hand, carefully checked the weapon before lowering it to a ready position. Vire did the same without being ordered, as though it were a natural instinct of hers.

"Ready, Sir," said Kael. Mako nodded as Vire also nodded in agreement. 

He said, "Follow me." 

Without a word both matched his pace, following closely behind. Mako kept his blaster held ready in front of him as he crept along the rock wall. As they neared the droid camp, he began to hear the whirrs and clicks of droids milling about. The suns had sunk low on the horizon, making the shadows longer and easier to hide in, and after a week or so in this place no one had shiny white armor. Mako spotted the entrance and held up a hand.

"Hold up," he ordered. He scanned the horizon for Calso and Crash, who should be near the top by now. Then he saw a white helmet appear above the far east rock wall and a black, gloved hand wave the signal. Mako felt his muscles tense as he prepared for the battle rush. He was alert and quickly turned to Kael and Vire, who looked equally ready. 

"Now!" he cried and whipped around, charging the droid camp, Kael on his heels and Vire close behind. 

 

They came in with guns blazing, taking the droids completely by surprise. Most were unsure what to do, seeing as Grievous had just taken off after some ghost speeder he had seen. Mako didn't stop running until he was centered in the camp, droids falling to blaster fire around him. He had already blasted more than ten, and Kael and Vire were taking down more by the minute. All around him were the sounds of war he had missed for so long. Kael was breathing heavily, and Vire grunted as she jumped aside to avoid blaster fire from the droids. Droids dashed about or ran in fear as they were fired upon, while more just streamed out to take their place. Some even let out a tinny yell or two as they were shot. Mako yelled out of excitement and blasted a droid off of Kael as they demolished the whole camp, leaving only the ship intact. Grievous was nowhere, and Vire was right when she said the commandos were gone. Not one was seen. 

"Crash, Calso, are you on the ground yet?" Mako called, remembering that the other two were supposed to be hijacking the ship.

"No, Sir!" Crash replied, sounding frantic over the internal helmet comm.

Mako felt a wave of worry wash over him and he asked, "What's the hold up?" as he gunned down three more droids.

"Droids, Sir, they climbed up here!" yelled the pilot. Mako paused and glanced up, seeing Calso throw a droid off the ledge as Crash fought off three more. Almost forgetting the battle at hand, he stood and watched for a moment, until Calso and Crash demolished the last droid up there. Then Kael snapped him out of it by tackling him to the ground, saving Mako from a blaster bolt in the head. Yanking his head aside to see up on the ridge, he saw Vire standing where Kael had been, firing and hitting some of the droids climbing the canyon walls toward the ARC and their pilot. Her aim from this distance was dead on, a skill only acquired by a lifetime of training. Pulling his gaze away, though, he let Kael help him up.

"Thanks, Kael," he answered breathlessly, regaining his feet and blasting the droid that had taken a potshot at him.

"Just keeping you alive, Sir," Kael answered, rejoining the fight.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Grievous had taken his own speeder and was now following the empty speeder that had once belonged the Mastro Ktar.

This is not right, the speeder should be manned!

He felt compelled to follow the bike, just in case, for bounty hunters can play all sorts of tricks. However, he knew something was off.

Ktar is managing to make a fool of me even after death.

Angry at the thought, Grievous decided that the chase was over and fired up his laser cannons. The speeder continued at full speed dead ahead of him. Grievous fired, and in one shot the bike was gone, a blaze of fire and smoke. That's when the droid general finally paid attention to his surrounding.

The far East jungle!

He finally saw what this really was.

A trap! Someone must be trying to divert my attention. 

Roaring in rage, Grievous realized that he had been tricked, and not by some dead bounty hunter. He jerked his own speeder around, and began speeding back to his camp, intent on finding out what he was being distracted from.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

"Sir! We are on the ground!" Crash called, as he and Calso made their descent. Mako spun around, hoping to get a glimpse of the other two clones. He saw nothing, but managed to shoot the droid running down the ship's ramp. 

"Just get on the ship!" he ordered. His adrenaline beginning to slow, Mako knew that they could only hold out so much longer. There were more droids than had been expected. Grievous had seemingly brought a whole army with him. To his left, Kael was breathing very heavily, trying to keep up with his left arm and not take any more damage to his right. Vire was doing well, and didn't seem to have broken a sweat as she demolished droids, a true natural with the borrowed DC-15. Crash and Calso finally rounded the ship and Mako saw them dash up the ramp. A little more blaster fire was heard inside, and Mako figured that Calso had taken out the remaining droids. The ship was almost theirs. 

"Kael! Vire! Make a run for the ship!" he ordered, waving them forward as Crash ignited the engines. Kael saw him but stopped to kick a droid down before dashing towards the extended ramp. Vire was surrounded by droids, all of which she managed to take out as soon as she she heard Mako call the order. Mako ran for the ramp, and then, seeing Vire lagging behind, reached out for her as Crash revved the engines, getting ready to take off before the ship got blasted. Vire saw Mako waiting and made a mad dash for the ramp, but a droid got a lucky shot in, hitting her squarely on the backplate. Luckily, the blast did not penetrate but knocked her to the ground and her helmet flew off.

"Vire! Get up!" shouted Mako as the ship began to lift off, too involved in escape to care whether she was friend or foe. Vire scrambled to her feet forgetting the helmet and wildly tried to catch up. She was only about two meters from the ship and Mako felt them rising faster. 

He suddenly cried out, "Vire! Jump!" 

When she did not instantly act he was afraid his voice had been lost in the din of the engines around him. Then Vire leaped out toward his outstretched hand, her sweaty, gloved hand wrapping around his, her weight pulling on him. Mako hauled his arm back, Vire with it, and kept pulling until her feet were planted safely on the deck and she hurried inside as Crash closed the hatch. They were in the air, mile above the ground, Vire with them. The adrenaline fading, the clone sergeant felt relieved that Vire was safe, but why he didn't know. Mako looked up at Vire, who was standing in front of him, and he was ready to say something sharp to her, but stopped. He stared. 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

Grievous got a clear view of the canyon just in time to see someone take off in the ship. His first thoughts were ones of wonderment, thinking the droids were leaving without him. But when he saw who was flying, he growled in fury.

The clones are escaping my grasp!

Grievous gunned the engine, firing randomly at the ship, yet he was too far off and his shots were wasted. The droid ship rose rapidly into the atmosphere and disappeared into the space above, leaving Grievous and his few remaining troops stranded. 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

Ventress turned to the droids next to her and pointed at some other droids. She had just received word from Count Dooku that the clones were escaping in a droid ship. They had just cleared the planet and were heading her way. Since the Count had left with Fett, The Count had left her in charge of his flagship in case something like this were to happen.

"Tell them to prime the weapons," she ordered.

"Yes, commander Ventress," the droid replied and turned to the droid gunners spouting off instructions.

Everything is falling into place. I shall destroy those clones once and for all. 

She smiled from behind her sith cloak that shrouded her pale, white, shaven head. She thought she was Dooku's apprentice and believed that no droids should be made generals, like Grievous. They should be under the command of someone organic and intelligent, since they were too simple minded. After all, she had foreseen many simple things that Grievous had not. Did that not make her superior? She wished it would. However, she should be happy with her position. She could mock the general all she wanted. And that made her very happy. She looked around the room, a smirk on her face as she made sure everything was in working order.

They will never get past me. 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Sir," commented Crash who was piloting the ship, with Calso's help.

"I see the blockade," replied Mako, as he watched the viewport. Many thoughts of regret had now crossed his mind, but he did not dwell on them, seeing as they still had one more battle to fight. A huge Separatist flagship loomed up ahead, escorted by smaller droid ships, all with weapons trained on them. "It's a trap," he announced. Behind him he heard the soft noise of Vire and Kael moving behind him. Or at least, the woman he had formerly known as Vire. 

"Thanks for the warning, Sergeant," Crash said dryly, then turned back to the console, eyes darting across the warning lights and data-readouts.

"You're welcome," Mako muttered. He had no idea how they were getting out of this.

"Mako, have Vire and Kael man the weapon's systems. "They have full power," Calso replied, pointing to the power readout on both blaster turrets. Mako nodded, turning to the two standing behind him.

"Vire, Kael. Get to the weapons, and prepare to fire instantly," Mako told them, almost pausing as he said Vire's name. 

"Sir, yes, Sir," they responded, hastening out of the room and off to the assigned job. Crash kept them flying straight, trying to look as unsuspicious as he could. Mako could feel the tension rising as the droid ships grew larger. Suddenly the light flashed saying they were in range, putting all thoughts about Vire out of Sergeant Mako's mind. 

Crash at that moment, yelled, "Those tinnies are about to blast us!" 

Mako knew Vire and Kael should have fired by now. 

"Vire, Kael! What are you two doing! We need you to shoot those droid ships!" Mako ordered frantically.

"We tried! The system's been blocked or something!" 

Vire's frantic voice came over the comm and Mako felt a wave of fear. The droid ships were priming weapons, he was sure of it

"Crash, you'll have to fly us out. Gun it and go while their cannons are still warming up!" Mako shouted, keying off the loudspeaker. 

"Yessir," cried Crash, pushing the ship to full speed. He shot forward, aiming for the space between two cruisers. That's when the droid ships opened fire. Red blaster bolts lanced around them as Crash tilted the ship and dove to avoid being decimated. Mako gripped the back of the pilot's seat as Calso worked furiously to keep everything in order as Crash maneuvered around the war zone. Finally, he broke free of the lasers as the droids tried to avoid hitting their own ships while Crash shot in between them. Just like that they were free, the droid ships behind them, and the empty space in front of them. 

Everyone took a deep breath, one of relief, as Mako ordered, "Calso, get a message out to the fleet. Tell them we are headed their way." 

"Yessir." The ARC reached for the transmitter.

"I'm going to check on Vire and Kael. They aren't back," Mako stated, worried something had happened to them.

"Understood, Sir," said Crash, and prepared the ship for hyperspace.

 

Mako turned into the main cabin and saw Kael dragging Vire's limp body in. 

"Sir, there are magna guards in the cargo hold! I don't know where they came from!" Kael reported hysterically, dropping the woman.

"Who cares where they came from. We need to take them out," Mako said and pulled on his helmet, which had been removed during the air battle.

"Sir, should I come with?" Kael inquired, hoisting his blaster. 

Mako nodded, "Yes, but I don't want you getting into the heat of anything. Your good arm is still injured." 

Then he lead Kael out of the cabin, leaving Vire laying on the floor.

"Are they active?" asked Mako as they hurried down the corridor.

"Yessir," said Kael. 

Mako considered this and then formed a quick plan, "We need EMP grenades. You still have any?" 

"Yessir," answered Kael quietly. They were within ten feet of the cargo hold, and Mako could hear the fizzling sounds of the menacing electrostaffs carried by the equally dangerous droids.

"Get three ready," Mako ordered and felt the ship lurch as Crash prepared them for hyperspace. Kael handed over two of the small objects, and Mako thumbed them on. 

"How many are there?" he quickly questioned. Kael raised four fingers. With a nod of acknowledgement, Mako, in one swift move, launched all three grenades into the air and raised his blaster to fire on the droids. Kael followed the clone sergeant in, already firing as he entered the room. The droids were taken off guard and the EMP grenades shorted them out, allowing Mako and Kael to scrap them in seconds.

"That wasn't too hard," responded Kael, lowering his weapon as smoke filled the air, pouring from decimated droid bodies.

"Speak for yourself," answered Mako. "Now, we need to get back. I need to have a word with the woman formerly known to us as Vire."

Kael looked confused as he asked, "Sir, what do you mean, formerly known as?" 

"I mean that she is not Vire. There never was a Vire," answered Mako. Kael stopped. 

He was even more confused now, unsure what Mako meant, "If there's no Vire, then, Sir, who is she?" 

Mako took off his helmet and looked the rookie in the eyes. His face was devoid of any kind of emotion, a blank slate. His eyes though were looking deep into Kael's whatever he had to say was not to be taken lightly. The clone sergeant took a deep breath.

"Commander Hotshot."


	15. 14

"Did you make contact with the fleet?" asked Mako as he entered the cockpit. 

Calso looked up and answered, "Yessir, they are expecting us and will be prepared for Vire as well. They said that they will-,"

"No need to worry about Vire, there's no such person," Mako interjected, cutting off the ARC trooper.

"I'm not following you, Mako," said Calso.

Mako gave an understanding look and said, "All will be explained soon." 

Calso nodded.

Mako turned and called behind him, "I'm going into the cabin."

Crash flicked up a few switches to stabilize the hyperdrive again, "Yessir, I'll tell you when we exit hyperspace."

Mako left.

In moments he was once again in the cabin, where Kael was helping the Commander up. She had just woken up after about twenty minutes of unconsciousness and was slightly disoriented. 

"Kael, how's the Commander?" Mako inquired, taking a seat. Hotshot looked at him with a confused look then resumed staring at the ground. She was still dressed in the bounty hunter outfit, but now without her helmet, the one barrier that had kept him from recognizing her from the beginning. Also, she seemed to not know whom he was talking about when he mentioned the Commander or Hotshot, and Mako didn't blame her.

"Still no memory of herself other than Vire, but she's conscious again," said Kael and removed his helmet, placing it on the seat next to him.

Mako pulled a small device off his belt saying, "I think I can help with the memory loss."

"Go ahead, Sir," said Kael. He had never asked Mako about why he said her or she when referring to the Commander, but now he knew, Clone Commander Hotshot was a woman, a female clone trooper. Mako nodded and placed the device on the small table that was centered between the rows of seats, standard ship arrangement.

"Vire? I need your attention,"

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

Mako pulled up an image on the device, and image of Commander Hotshot. The blue holo profile picture was almost a mirror image of the other clones faces, but the sharp features were just ever so slightly softer, and her hair was longer, pulled into a low bun like the one she was wearing right now. Her dark eyebrows arched in the same way Kael's, Mako's, Crash's and every other troopers did, only higher and thinner.

While Kael noted all of this, Mako asked, "Do you know who this woman is?"

Vire shrugged and answered, "Sure." 

Kael watched the two, silent.

"Do you remember anything about her?" 

For a long moment both sat there looking at the information, the former Vire silent, until she finally looked up, new determination in her sharp, dark brown eyes and answered, "Sergeant Mako, I have half a mind to have you demoted!"

All those regrets freshly in his mind Mako nodded humbly, "I can understand that."

Reaching across the table and grabbing the comalink, clipping it to her own belt, Commander Hotshot, formerly Vire, scolded Mako, "Next time be more careful about who you accuse of what." 

Mako looked a bit sheepish but took the order to heart and gave a short nod. Kael watched as Hotshot kept her careful gaze on Mako, and now, without the confused expression on her face, he easily recognized the woman in the picture, all of the strength, intellect and power visible as she reprimanded the clone Sergeant.

"Yessir." Mako sat forward a bit and looked Hotshot in the eyes. "Sir, may I ask how you got stranded on that planet? Calso told us his story, but he never mentioned seeing you. When did you arrive?"

Hotshot looked down a moment, trying to recollect the information before she answered, "The memory is vague. I remember Calso arriving. If I remember correctly, I crashed before that. Some other person was with me, but he abandoned ship. All I remember is staying on the ground as Vire ever since. That's as far as it goes."

Mako nodded, knowing that amnesia was a tricky thing. Too many resurfaced memories could prove dangerous, but there were still instances when not all memory was regained. He would have to make his own conclusions from what information he had. 

Soon however the serious mood was lightened a bit as, with a short laugh, Hotshot looked over at Kael then told Mako, "The new rookie did well out there."

Mako saw that Kael was no longer paying much attention to them and nodded. 

"He's quite a natural with tech too, Sir." 

"Reel tell him he can be part of the team yet?" inquired Hotshot.

Mako thought back and then remembered that Kael had just joined them, and said, "No, Sir. This is his first mission with us."

"Stranded with your future squad mates, no better way to get to know each other," Hotshot jested, though there was a serious undertone to her comment. 

Looking back Kael saw the conversation dwindling-the former Vire obviously having been reminded of who she really was-and thought now was a good time to put in his own thoughts, "Commander, Sir, I wanted to say, it's an honor to meet you." 

Kael instantly felt like the sentence was a bit strange, seeing as he had met her weeks ago and just had not known it was her. In fact, in his mind, the whole ordeal was strange. 

Hotshot replied, "Glad to hear it. You're Kael, right?" 

He nodded.

"Well then, I apologize for the injury," she said first, surprising Kael, who hadn't related the two until now. Looking up he wasn't sure what to say.

"Um, thank you?" he asked, not really sure. Hotshot broke the rookie's uncomfortable moment y walking over and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Looking to join Disaster squad here?" she inquired.

Kael nodded again, "Yessir."

The Commander turned her head to Mako and asked, "Who did we lose?"

"Rigger, he was killed by bounty hunters. The mission was a trap," Mako answered, his strong tone regained. 

A brief look of sadness crossed Hotshot's face after hearing the news, but she quickly composed herself and looked at Kael saying, "In that case, welcome to Disaster squad, Kael."

Kael gave a curt nod and proudly said, "Thank you, Sir."

 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

The fleet was only an hour away near Rodia, just outside Bothan space. Crash was having difficulty keeping the hyperdrive stable though, and the trip was estimated to take an extra hour.

"Sir, I figured out what's wrong with the hyperdrive," Crash announced.

"Tell us," commanded Mako.

The pilot pulled up the statistics on the hyperdrive, "The generator powering it was knocked loose in our escape. It is functioning, but it is weak and not providing enough power to keep the whole hyperdrive running stable. The quicker we get this thing out of hyperspace the better." 

"Is there any way you can fix it?" asked Mako, looking at the expanded blueprint and seeing where Crash had seen the problem.

"No, Sir, we would have to come out of hyperspace and I would have to pull the whole thing apart to reach the generator. It would take hours," responded Crash.

Mako turned off the readout and looked at the map, "Then just get us to the fleet," he said.

"Yessir."

Crash turned back to his instruments, and Calso, who had been quietly watching, spoke up, "Mako, I believe there was something you wanted to tell me about Vire." 

Mako nodded and turned to the ARC, about to explain everything when Kael and Hotshot burst in.

"But, Sir!" cried Kael in response to something Hotshot had ordered.

"Just do it, Kael, that's an order," commanded Hotshot firmly. 

Kael turned and mumbled, "Yes, Commander."

Calso looked up at Mako in shock and then back at Hotshot-who was still wearing the bounty hunter attire-then back at Mako. 

"You were saying," he asked.

Mako figured that everything had been explained so he said, "Yes."

Then Hotshot saw Calso and quit ordering Kael around, as the rookie went off to do what he had been commanded.

"What are you doing in here? Crash can fly this rust bucket himself."

"Sir, I- I'm just keeping an eye out for Seppies. Crash's kind of busy," he replied quietly, knowing the excuse was terrible.

"Fine, just tell me when they come through hyperspace in front of us," she answered, knowing he would understand. Crash, who was involved in his job, took no notice of the events but kept the hyperdrive stabilized. He didn't even know that Vire, who had been Hotshot, was back to being her old self even though she was standing right behind him.

"Sir," asked Mako, taking on a new subject. 

"Don't say anything yet Mako, you still have a lot of explaining to do," Hotshot ordered, her voice hard.

Mako felt the regret once again rise, and he knew he was about to wish he had stayed silent the whole time they were on that planet, "Yes, Commander."

Hotshot motioned for him to follow her, and she turned, heading for the cabin. Mako followed silently until she made an abrupt about-face and stood facing him.

"I will not mention the things you said, because I know we already addressed that matter, but I want to know where the idea that I was dead originated," Hotshot ordered calmly, putting one hand on the table.

Mako took a deep breath and began, "We found your helmet in the cave where you had taken shelter, and since we still knew you as Vire we figured that she had killed you, taking your clone armor as a token of a successful kill. The conclusion also explained your disappearance quite well, since dead people don't come back." 

He paused to let her interject any thoughts.

"Logical thinking," was her answer. Mako nodded. He had nothing more to add, and being interrogated by his own commander was unnerving him.

Hotshot then nodded and finished with, "Thank you for the explanation, Sergeant. Now, if you still have it, I'd like my helmet."

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Did you get them?" asked Grievous, when he came aboard the ship where Ventress and her droids were. They had sent a ship to pick him up after the clones got past.

"No, but I was able to get their coordinates before they jumped. They're headed for Rodia," she told the droid general, as he paced restlessly in front of her.

"You should have shot them down," he grumbled.

"My dear General, you need some sleep," she told him, then called in two droids. "You two, escort him to his quarters." Ventress watched them leave, then turned to the comm.

"Master," she said keying in the code and bowing before her master.

"My apprentice. How goes the plan?" questioned Dooku, his own dark cloak shrouding his sharp features. 

The assassin stood, "Everything is going according to the plan. The clones escaped with our ship," Ventress explained to him.

"You tracked them?" asked the Count in a low, imperative voice. 

Ventress nodded, "Yes master, they are heading for Rodia. I intercepted a coded transmission to a Republic fleet stationed near there. It stated that they were heading for the fleet and to make ready for the bounty hunter woman, Vire."

"Unfortunate that she went with them. She could have provided useful," answered Dooku before glancing down as Boba came silently to his side.

"The boy and I will continue our search. You go to Coruscant and intercept any incoming messages. It's time we had an update on what the Jedi are doing," ordered the Count directly. Ventress bowed and cut the transmission, calling out the new course to her droid pilots.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

"Ten minutes to real space!" called Crash over the loudspeaker as the ship gave a slight shudder. The hyperdrive had worked up until now, getting them just far enough to make it to the fleet. 

"He's changed," Hotshot muttered, noticing how much more experienced Crash sounded.

"It's been three months, Sir," stated Kael, who was seated across from the commander.

"Be quiet, rookie," she answered getting up. Kael fell silent and watched her leave for the cockpit.

In the cockpit Hotshot took a moment to walk in before saying, "Crash, you think the hyperdrive will hold up ten more minutes?"

"What do you-," Crash turned, wondering why Vire was asking him questions, but stopped speaking when he recognized Hotshot. "Yes, Sir," he stuttered in shock.

"Glad to hear it. Did you already send a transmission?"

Calso, who was still sitting in the copilot's seat, nodded. 

"Mako's staying on top of things, good for him."

Hotshot placed a hand on the back of Crash's chair, leaning forward to read the map.

"The hyperdrive held out just long enough, Sir," said the pilot calmly, not as unnerved as the sergeant was at the return of his former commander.

Hotshot nodded, asking, "So I hear I was M.I.A. for three months. Who stepped up for me?"

"Commander Kell from the 702nd, his lieutenant, Raven, lead the 702nd for him," Mako announced as he walked in.

"He's a good man. I knew him from training on Kamino," answered Hotshot tapping one finger, and watching the white star lines rush past them as the ship began to shudder again.

Mako changed the subject slightly, saying, "Sir, General Reel will be pleased at your return."

"I know." 

Hotshot sounded pleased but it was hard to tell.

"Didn't Calso mention that the General's old padawan was there was well?" said Kael. 

"Sareen? It will be nice to see her again," mumbled Hotshot, low enough so that Mako didn't hear.

Mako continued with, "We'll find out in five minutes Kael."

Hotshot nodded.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

The landing was smooth, and Crash sighed in relief as the ship settled in the bay of the Nexu, General Reel's flagship. He dropped the ramp, watching as the others gathered helmets and weapons. Hotshot gave orders, and grabbed her clone helmet, clipping it to her belt. They filed out of the ship, Mako first and Hotshot last. Commander Kell and General Reel were waiting just a few meters away with the rest of Disaster squad. Mako and the others stood at attention, saluting General Reel.

"At ease men," ordered the young, blue-skinned, Twi'lek Jedi, brushing back his long cloak as he glanced over faces.

"Sergeant Mako, where is copilot Flyer?" the Jedi questioned, studying Calso before recognizing the ARC.

Mako was quick in reply saying, "Dead, Sir. Killed in the crash that stranded us for the past week or so." 

Reel stepped forward, his gaze flicking to Kael.

"And how did rookie Kael preform?" 

"Performed excellent, Sir, and was accepted into Disaster squad," Mako answered. Reel raised his brow in question, looking back at the sergeant.

"And did you perform this, because I don't think you hold the rank to do so, Sergeant," he stated. 

This time Hotshot called out from where she stood, "I did, Sir. Trooper Kael will be a skilled addition to the 514th, on my word General." 

Reel jerked his head in Hotshot's direction, surprised to hear the familiar voice speak out for her troops.

"Commander?" he inquired, seeing Hotshot in Vire's armor.

"Ready when you are, Sir." 

Reel glanced back at Mako, "Sergeant, you didn't say you had found and rescued the commander."

Mako lifted his head a bit, "All due respect, General, but I didn't find her until after Calso contacted you."

"I see. Either way, we welcome you back Commander," Reel answered. Hotshot gave a casual salute. It was good to be back.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 

 

 

Settling back in took no time at all, and several hours later while General Reel, and Hotshot were on the bridge, Command Kell joined them.

"Sir, you called me up here?" said Kell as Reel turned, hands clasped behind his back, the Jedi's blue lekku twitching and curling behind him.

"Yes, I did. Commander Hotshot, you are dismissed. Commander Kell will stay here with me," answered Reel, as Hotshot turned to face Kell.

"Yessir," she responded, nodding to Kell as she left.

Reel called one more thing after her as she left, "Your men are in the mess hall."

Hotshot said nothing, but knew exactly where she was going. She took the lift down from the bridge and into the main floors of the ship. The fleet had not moved as General Reel was waiting for word from the Council. She turned off the main corridor after exiting the lift, then headed for the mess hall. It was only a few meters from the lift and she could already hear the noise. Clones, troopers and officers alike were all milling about inside as she entered, and it took her a few minutes to locate Mako and Disaster squad, but she finally spotted the back of Mako's unmistakable helmet. She walked over and caught the tail end of a conversation.

"The commandos grabbed Kael in the cave before we could take out the other two," said Crash as he narrated the events that happened on Nagem, before their escape.

Hotshot cut in, her voice blank, "Then Kael met me." 

Everyone turned to look at her.

Col was the one who spoke first, "General Reel finally let you off, Sir?"

"Yes."

Col continued, "Glad to hear it. How's life back in in clone armor?"

"Better, although I'm afraid this kit's a bit too white for me," Hotshot replied taking a seat next to Siv.

This brought a laugh from the others, Col remarking, "I agree, being a shinie just doesn't suit you, Sir."

"Sir, any news from the Council?" inquired Mako, leaning in so he could be heard over the voices. 

"None," answered Hotshot.

Siv nudged her arm, "Sir, General Reel say anything about going down to the planet?"

"Were there plans to?" questioned Hotshot, unsure what he meant since she had heard nothing about going down to Rodia.

,The General was considering the option, but there's been no word from the council, so the General decided to delay the landing," answered Siv.

"Understood, but, no, he didn't mention it." 

Leaning forward on the table Hotshot called to Slicer, "Did you get Kael's arm fixed up?"

"Not yet, Sir, but he's had some painkillers," replied Slicer, jerking a finger in Kael's direction.

"Can't feel it, Sir," responded Kael cheerily, pointing to the sling holding his right arm.

Hotshot nodded, then asked, "Can you move it?"

"Not yet, Sir."

The new trooper then resumed talking to Deke, the other new addition.

Finally having a moment of quiet, Hotshot scanned the table putting faces to names, noting who was there and not, then asked, "Where's Matrix?"

"He's with Commander Kell. Left just before you showed, up saying he had something important to tell Commander Kell," said DL.

"Did he mention what it was?" Hotshot wondered to herself if the trooper had gone to visit Saku, it had been several months since she last remembered them talking. However, her memory was still spotty and the past three months were a sort of haze.

"No, Sir," answered Dec, cutting in before DL could say anything. DL shoved Dec off the bench and Dec sprang up, yanking the other trooper off as well.

"Both of you, cut it out. You're acting like cadets," shouted Hotshot, ending the tussle.

"Sorry, Sir," they said in unison, and DL got up, helping Dec to his feet.

"Can't have a discussion without you two tackling one another," mumbled Hotshot.

"That's the way it is, Sir, and forever will be," said Col.

Before Hotshot could reply Matrix ran up calling, "Sir, General Reel requests your presence on the bridge!" His voice was loud, but the same guttural inhuman tone it had been before she left. It would probably never be the same as before his incident.

"Did he say why?" she asked, getting up quickly and grabbing her helmet which had been placed on the table before her. 

"No, Sir," he said, coming to a halt.

"Thank you." 

Commander Hotshot raced off, hoping it was a transmission from the Council that Reel had called her up for.

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

"Sir, you called me?" inquired Hotshot, striding onto the bridge, helmet held casually at her side.

"Yes, The Council is contacting us," replied Reel, fulfilling Hotshot's hopes. He motioned for her to come and walked into the control room.

"General Reel," said Mace Windu, as his holographic form turned to face the Jedi. "A scout team from Nar Shaddaa said that they stopped to fuel up at Ryloth and ran into a full Separatist blockade. They received a transmission calling for help before moving into hyperspace. We were contacted immediately."

General nodded, one of his lekku twitching anxiously until he looked up and said, "What is the council looking to do?"

"They wish to send a few cruisers to break the blockade," answered Mace. Then Obi Wan Kenobi's image appeared and he looked to Mace.

"Forgive me Master Windu. I'm afraid I missed the debrief."

Mace nodded and repeated, "A team of clones retained information that the Separatists are blockading the peaceful world of Ryloth." 

He looked to Reel before continuing, "Your padawan, Master Skywalker, has offered to take his own padawan and try to break the blockade, what are your thoughts?"

"Oh I have no doubt Anakin and Ahsoka can do it," replied Kenobi confidently. Hotshot shifted her gaze to look at Saesee Tinn, who had not spoken but observed. She then looked back at Mace as he began speaking again.

"Good, our scouts have also informed us that the locals need food and medical supplies as well as freedom. If you could find a way to provide those as well, then Ryloth would surely thank you," said Windu.

Saesee Tinn now spoke up, saying, "How long does Master Skywalker have to break the blockade?"

"One planetary rotation," Windu answered, then continued by saying, "Master Kenobi the council has decided that you will be the one to take your troops to the ground. Kenobi, you must free the Twi'leks held hostage. I will take the capital city."

"It will be done Master Windu," Kenobi answered. Hotshot's eyes darted between the three jedi, listening for the mission details closely. To her, it didn't sound like they were going to be actively involved in this one, but they needed the information all the same.

"Reel, you and your troops will stand by in case we need assistance. We would prefer you not to get involved in something this personal for you," Mace gave the Jedi a knowing look then added, "Is everyone clear on that?" 

Reel gave a nod and Saesee Tinn did as well. Kenobi muttered a yes.

"Good. Mace out," the jedi cut the transmission and so did the others. Reel turned to Hotshot.

"Tell the pilots to head for Ryloth, then go tell your men. I won't keep you any longer than I must," ordered the Twi'lek. 

Hotshot could see the sorrow for his people in the young General's eyes but kept quiet about it and answered with a plain, "Yessir," then walked out, ready for the next mission.


	16. Epilogue

Young and tough, Jango Fett's only son, Boba Fett, stood aboard Count Dooku's flagship. He had been there for days after the four clones and supposed bounty hunter escaped searching through the surveillance and data his hired hand had picked up. The data had turned up nothing to confirm the myth he was attempting to solve, yet none of it proved it wrong. Frustrated and angry he shifted from foot to foot as the Count calmly oversaw the bridge operations. Young Fett glanced up at the Count, noting his sharp, cold, dissatisfied glare. Beside him the Count stood tall and straight in his dark cloak that shrouded his rich, impeccable attire. Fett scanned the bridge, impatient and angry. Dooku turned to look at the young boy.

"I detest your impatience, come with me," he ordered, his figure looming above Boba as he walked past him. Boba ran to catch up, ignoring the Count's comments. Doors swished open as the Count walked into his private communications room, Fett trailing behind him. The boy stood back and watched as Dooku activated his transmission array and tuned the frequency to the Temple's private settings. Like a phantom, he listened unseen to the Jedi discuss their plans and strategies.

"A team of clones retained information that the Separatists are blockading the peaceful world of Ryloth," Jedi master Windu informed the others, before pointedly looking at Master Kenobi, and Saesee Tinn, then glancing at a Jedi who was standing next to his clone commander. Boba recognized neither the Jedi nor the clone, nor did he realize who the clone truly was, before returning his attention to the conversation.

"Windu," Boba muttered through clenched teeth. His mind recognizing his father's murderer.

"Quiet Boba," Dooku warned. Fett fell silent.

 

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

Now in his own memories Boba listened to the conversations in a haze, his anger boiling inside him. Memories of Mace Windu on Geonosis, fighting gallantly, outwitting his father at every turn, only to ruthlessly murder him in an unfairly matched duel. Boba remembered after the battle how he had yelled his father's name, searching for him, even though he knew Jango was dead. Narrowing his eyes, he had memories of holding his father's helmet to his forehead, pleading for Jango to come back. After that he had run far from that arena, hid, fumed, and grieved for his father while plotting Windu's death. Now was his chance. He knew where Windu was, and where he would be. His face dark and his attitude ominous, Fett had one thought.

Windu must die.

And he was going to kill him.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

"Good, our scouts have informed us that the locals need food and medical supplies as well as freedom. If you could find a way to provide those as well, then Ryloth would surely thank you," said Windu, breaking Boba out of his own mind.

Saesee Tinn spoke up saying, "How long does Master Skywalker have to break the blockade?'

"One planetary rotation," Windu answered, then continued by saying, "Master Kenobi, the council has decided that you will be the one to take your troops to the ground. Master Kenobi, you must free the Twi'leks held hostage. I will take the capital city."

"It will be done, Master Windu," Kenobi answered. Dooku waited a moment longer before cutting the transmission and turning to Fett. He saw the hatred in the boy's eyes and felt its tremor through the force.

"Windu is going to pay," Boba told the Count.

"Yes, my boy, he will pay," Dooku agreed, feeling warm with the intense anger Jango's son was feeling.

He will pay.

Dooku smiled.


End file.
